Bettes Elementary School Celebrates Banner Year for Reading Achievement
Every Student Reads Independently for at Least an Hour a Day
Akron, Ohio—Bettes Elementary School, Akron School District, was recognized as one of American Reading Company’s 25 Honor Schools in 2010. While 1,200 schools in the country are participating in American Reading Company’s 100 Book Challenge, Bettes was one of only 25 schools to get 100 percent of its student population reading independently for 30 minutes a day at school and 30 minutes a day at home.
In September, Principal Marla Knabel challenged her students, staff, and parents to ensure that every single student in the school document at least 100 hours of independent reading practice over the course of the school year. To start, every Bettes student determined his/her reading “size” and then selected from circulating libraries of books sized to fit. They read in school. They read at home. They read in the hallways. They read on field trips. They read at restaurants. They read with their little brothers and sisters. Thanks to Principal Knabel and her staff, reading is a way of life for EVERY child at Bettes Elementary, even those who didn’t used to know how much fun it was.
Experimental studies have shown and common sense dictates that the more a child reads, the better his or her reading skills will develop. Principal Knabel and Bettes Elementary teachers and parents are ensuring that this happens by reinforcing the importance of reading independently each and every day for at least 30 minutes in class and at home. An hour a day of reading practice, usually routine for only the top performers in a school, is the norm for every student at Bettes.
Mrs. Knabel said 100 Book Challenge is a critical element of the school’s efforts to boost reading achievement and ensure that all students are reading on or above grade level. Important to that overall effort is the involvement of parents so that children understand reading is not just something they do at school. “100 Book Challenge is the best way to work with families and develop the relationship between school and home,” said Mrs. Knabel.
The Bettes School Community was honored on June 4th when the Vice President, Bruce Bierwirth of American Reading Company, flew from the company headquarters in King of Prussia, PA, to present the American Reading Honor Banner to the school. “When children adopt successful reading habits at a young age, their love for reading will last a lifetime,” said Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of American Reading Company. “We congratulate Mrs. Knabel on this great honor and also commend her teachers, students, and parents.”
About American Reading Company
American Reading Company transforms school cultures to create sustainable academic achievement through training, management, and monitoring. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in King of Prussia, PA. Today, more than a million students in 2,100 schools across 420 districts in 41 states participate in the company’s programs, which include ACTION 100, 100 BOOK CHALLENGE and RESEARCH LABS.