Thursday was visitor reading day for first graders at Liberty Elementary School. Parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles visited the classroom to learn about helping their children to read. “Our new reading program starts next week,” said Teacher Jenny Lemke, who came up with the idea at a PLC (professional learning community), meeting. Children are encouraged to read at least five books each week. For every 25 books read, they get a special treat from Dairy Queen. After 70 books, children get a free book and there are other incentives. The goal is to read at least 100 books between now and the end of the year, but if they manage to read up to 140 books they will be invited to a special party. “We want them to read as much as possible at their level,” Lemke said. Parents were also given a list of places to find suitable reading material and decoding sheet to help the students sound out words. “We want them to develop reading strategies,” says Title 1 Reading Teacher Julie Kehn. “Ask them questions about what they are reading and what they think is going to happen next. Don’t just give them a word when they get stuck, but help them figure it out for themselves. The students joined their visitors and went to one of four work stations to practice their reading skills. Students have already learned the difference between fiction and non-fiction. At one station students were able to pick up their own library card. Big Lake Public Library Branch Manager Nancy Lee issued the cards and had the students sign them. There were tables set up where students could make bookmarks to take home and an area for reading games. When three different games had been completed the children could choose a book to take home and keep. Parents and students were also encouraged to use the computer lab to find additional sources of reading material and reading games. There were books to share and read together and short plays with two characters to read aloud. The new reading program is loosely modeled on the library program, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Kehn said, speaking in praise of the PLCs. “So much work gets done there,” Kehn said. The first grade teachers picked up this idea and went with it. We hope it will continue and grow next year.”