Washtucna students participate in Reading Month

“Catch the Reading Bug” was a fun theme to focus on insects this year.

We met early in February to begin the planning stages for this year’s reading month.

We decided to focus on insects and learn about their behavior, types of insects, what they eat, where they live, etc.

There was a total of 22,226 pages read which averages a total of 1,111.3 pages per student.

Students would research insects and write reports. So we made a list of different insects so each student had a different one and then could display them in the hallway as part of the decorations.

We decorated the hallway the Friday prior to the first day of Reading Month complete with insects hanging from the ceiling, a 3D tree filled with monarch butterflies, insects on the bulletin boards with flowers and grass.

Each week we had a fun activity that inspired cross curriculum as well as cross grade cooperation. The first week we paired the students to read to each other in the gym.

The second week had a holiday, which was St. Patrick’s Day. We had the same pairing of students design a leprechaun trap.

It was great to watch students work together and create their inventive traps.

A booknic was on the docket for week three. Sue Whitman wheeled lunch to our end of the building for the students and they had a picnic in the hallway as they read their books.

It was so fun to see them scattered on their blankets or pillows reading and eating!

Our field trip this year was to WSU to the Entomology Deptartment. We visited with Dr. Zack, who is a professor of insects.

He spent an hour sharing wonderful facts with our students about insects from all over the world. Dr. Zack made it so interesting and truly taught them lots of facts.

The most dangerous animal in the world isn’t a lion or tiger but a mosquito because more people die from diseases they transfer than attacks by large animals.

Following this event we walked to Ferdinand’s, which is a creamery on campus. They watched cheese being made and a video about the milk process from the campus dairy to the finished product.

And of course, we had ice cream to top off our lunch!

The prize drawing was on the last morning and those that qualified got to choose a prize in order of the page amounts that they read.

Each student that read their specified amount by grade level also received a t-shirt that is especially designed for our school’s reading month.

This year it is neon green with book titles and authors.

Another successful Reading Month that was carefully planned to help students grow in reading but also have experiences that helps them to grow.