Library, Smith teachers team up to help young readers

The Stockbridge Library and Smith first grade teachers joined forces this school year to bring the joy of reading to young students.
“Smith Elementary has been focusing more deeply on literacy since the COVID pandemic,” first grade teacher Michelle Burke said. “Teachers, along with our literacy coach, Katherine Anderson, have been implementing research-based instructional practices to improve children’s literacy in Michigan.”
The research has 10 Literacy Essentials, and one is the use of read alouds of age-appropriate books and other materials, print or digital.
“Our reading program, Wonders, is organized weekly around an essential question that
guides the learning each week,” Burke explains.
She had the idea of incorporating the Grab and Go program offered by the CADL Stockbridge Branch Library with the themes offered in the reading program.
According to Burke, the collaboration not only presents quality read alouds to the first graders, but promotes the local library. It also encourages families to immerse their children with books and gives the students wonderful reading opportunities.
“We are into our third week of bringing quality children’s books into our classrooms and having new books to read every day,” Burke said. “Our students now want to read with their families.”
Katherine Anderson, the literacy coach at Smith Elementary School, said the partnership between the library and the classroom meets several other Essential Practices in Early Literacy, in addition to the read alouds. These include the deliberate efforts to foster literacy motivation within and across lessons; abundant reading materials and reading opportunities; and promoting literacy engagement at home.
“The efforts of the first grade team, Michelle Burke, and our amazing Stockbridge CADL team will have a lasting impact on students’ experience around the joy of reading and engagement with literacy,” Anderson said.
She said expanding the number of read aloud books also builds vocabulary and the background knowledge necessary as children encounter more complex material throughout elementary school.
Reading aloud is exactly how we can provide these opportunities to our earliest readers, Anderson added.
Burke thanked the efforts of Cady Bauer and Rose at the Stockbridge Branch Library for providing a new bag of six to eight books they’ve personally selected for the first grade teachers to read each week.
“Cady has put a lot of effort into making this a reality for us and it’s working wonderfully so far!” Burke said. “Our students ask us every day what our new library book is and we are seeing the excitement and love of books growing each day.”

First grade teachers at Smith Elementary School shared these books from the Stockbridge Library with their classes. The theme for the week was “What makes a pet special?”