Some of the school’s top readers smile for the camera with Mr. Kourt. They include: Gabriel Kalisz,left, Alex Pierce, Lance Schroder, Maddisyn Kreutziger, Carter Cantaro, Connor Dufour, and Jared Bruns.
They say that duct tape fixes everything. Turns out, it can also motivate children to read.
On Friday, November 21, all students at Walter B. Howard Elementary tallied their log sheets to see if they reached their reading goal of 60,000 total minutes. Turns out they surpassed the goal with a total of 61,578 in just two weeks. The prize? Duct tape Principal Andrew Kourt right to the wall.
Students participated in the “Stuck to Reading” a read-a-thon in honor of American Education Week. Since November 7, students and parents logged their at-home reading minutes. Students and teachers then tallied the minutes during a “reading celebration assembly.”
This project correlates with the healthy habit of “beginning with the end in mind,” something the students have been working on all month. Each month, students learn about a new healthy habit. Students observed demonstrating these habits are recognized in the school community.
According to Principal Andrew Kourt, motivating children to read independently at home can often be a challenge. By providing them with a goal to work towards, students are more enthusiastic and excited to read. By reading books that are “just right” for them, they become better readers.
“It is our goal to have our students reading at or above grade level. Helping children to get excited about reading will help us meet that goal,” said Kourt. “The read-a-thon, with the idea that I will be taped to the wall, has motivated our children to read. As a principal I will do anything to make reading a little more exciting.”