Love of Reading Brings Students Together at Dows Lane Elementary School

Dows Lane Elementary School students participated in their school’s first all-school interactive reading event on Sept. 24. (Photo courtesy of the Irvington Union Free School District)

As kindergarten through third grade students sat together in their school’s gymnasium on Sept. 24, they each held an excerpt from a book and participated in Dows Lane Elementary School’s first all-school interactive reading event.

Assisted by Principal Andrea Kantor, school librarian Gina Samaniego and their teachers, the students read aloud from “You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You,” which is written in two voices to invite young children to read along with an adult. The students read aloud the text in blue font, while teachers read the text in red.

“With 515 students and 109 staff members, it was a fun literacy event,” Kantor said. “Each of our 26 classes has a buddy class; we call it Buddy Up Dows Lane. So, the older and younger children are paired together and during our interactive reading, the older students were able to read to the younger children. Everyone had the text and we all joined in the reading.”

Kantor said the book connected to the school’s work in character education and this month’s theme of community and reinforced the idea that the students are all part of a bigger community at their school. In addition, the event allowed the students to share their love of reading, fun and joy.

At the end of the assembly, music teacher JoAnne Caroprese led the students in singing their school song, “Teamwork.”

Photo caption: Dows Lane Elementary School students participated in their school’s first all-school interactive reading event on Sept. 24.

 

Photo courtesy of the Irvington Union Free School District

 

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