Monday, April 11, 2016

Burton Independent School District Students, Staff, and Parents to Participate in Statewide Reading Program

On April 11, 2016 for the second year, Burton Elementary School 3^rd grade will be among tens of thousands of Texas students and their families kicking off a statewide celebration of literacy called Texas Reads One Book. They will simultaneously watch a videotaped reading of the first chapter of Charlotte’s Web by Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett.

“We all talk about needing more parent involvement, but most educators struggle with how to get parents engaged,” says Dr. Edna Kennedy, Superintendent of the Burton Independent School District, one of dozens of Texas school districts participating in the program. “Parents need resources that will allow them to help their kiddos. We need to provide parents access to tools that will help their students be more successful and keep the conversations ongoing about getting a good education. Texas Reads One Book 2016 has given us a mechanism to show parents how they can work with their kids through the enjoyable experience of reading which becomes a lifelong skill.”

Across the state, more than 50,000 families in more than 100 elementary schools will all read Charlotte’s Web at the same time, making reading the hot topic of conversation in communities statewide for nearly a month.

For the second consecutive year, Garrett will kick off this statewide family literacy initiative. His videotaped reading of the first chapter of Charlotte’s Web will be streamed to participating schools statewide at 9 a.m. on April 11. “If you want to become a better football player, you have to practice,” says Garrett in the video. “If you want to become a better reader, you have to practice. It’s fun to read! It’s fun to find out about these characters and many others.”

Texas Reads One Book offers a powerful model for engaging parents in family literacy activities. Through the program, EVERY elementary family in participating schools will receive a copy of the book, meaning that even reluctant readers and parents who don’t normally participate in school activities get involved. Spanish-language copies of Charlotte’s Web are available for Spanish-speaking families.

By stimulating family involvement in the reading process and boosting student engagement with books, the Texas Reads One Book program can contribute to breaking the cycle of illiteracy — and therefore poverty — that exists for many low-income families. Reports from districts in Virginia and New York that have used the “one book” model for several years indicate higher test scores and increased interest in reading among students.

Texas Reads One Book is a project of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), with support from the nonprofit family literacy organization Read to Them and The School Superintendents Association (AASA). For more information contact Texasreads@readtothem.org. See http://readtothem.org/programs/texas-reads-one-book-video/ to view a video featuring introductory comments by José Parra, Superintendent of the Irving Independent School District and Bonny Urschel of Highland Park High School in Dallas, whose friendship with Jason Garrett secured his participation in the program, followed by Jason Garrett’s reading of the first chapter of Charlotte’s Web.