By Chine Okeke
Students in Castleman Creek Elementary are being exposed to innovative ways of fostering good reading habits while ensuring a continued increase in their reading comprehension skills. The All Books are Audible grant provided by the Midway ISD Education Foundation gives students the opportunity to listen and follow along with an age appropriate story. The grant will supply a CD player, headphones, and sets of books with CDs.
According to Rachel Skopik, the primary grant recipient, using the listening center will give students the best of both worlds.
“A lot of books that we read now are audible and online,” said Skopik. “They will have a book in hand but will also be listening to the words as they are read aloud.”
Since most books are being listened to as opposed to just being read, students develop an increased understanding of the language being spoken around them. Students are also able to broaden their vocabulary of object names and common phrases and will be able to better differentiate between elements of print including letters, words and pictures.
Skopik said the listening center will also help students be more engaged with the classroom library.
“They will have the chance to hold an actual book in their hands, instead of just their iPad,” said Skopik. “Students will have the chance to follow along with the print as it is read aloud to them, also showing them directionality in text.”
This grant was made possible by all Midway Education Foundation donors. For more information about the Education Foundation and its programs, you can visit www.midwayisd.org/foundation.
