Local News
Reading program to focus on Alabama authors
By Will MezickLast spring, Cullman High School Librarian Janice Cook had an idea for a reading focus for Cullman city schools' for the upcoming school year. The idea evolved into a reading committee that has developed a variety of initiatives for the 2006-07 school year.
Cook's idea eventually became "Cullman City Schools Celebrate Alabama Authors," a reading program focusing on the works of Alabama authors such as Ric Bragg, Charles Ghigna and Kathryn Tucker Windham. The belief is that students will be able to better relate to successful authors from Alabama, thereby generating increased interest in reading.
According to reading committee members, Cook's idea began relatively small but "has spread like kudzu," incorporating the ideas of reading committee members, teachers and others.
The program hopes to increase overall interest in reading and the arts by getting students, parents, local businesses and many other Cullman residents involved.
Teachers will be given posters with the various Alabama writers on it. The idea, though, is not only to teach reading, but to incorporate other school-related subjects such as geography and math. Students will not only read works by Alabama authors, they will learn where they are from and how far from Cullman their hometown is, creating a more all-encompassing learning experience.
"There are lots of layers (to the reading program), like the geography aspect as well as math," said East Elementary third-grade teacher Cindy Pass. "It's about integration. We're not just teaching reading by itself."
Windham is scheduled to speak to Cullman students during the fall, and the school Web site will also have a new page dedicated to "Celebrating Alabama Authors." The Web page will be updated monthly and will include links to various Alabama authors' works.
Teachers will be incorporating Alabama author readings throughout the year, correlating selected works to events going on that time of year. For example, during baseball's World Series, kids will read selected baseball-related poems from Ghigna's "Fury in Motion."
The committee is also promoting a "What did you read last night?" program. The program hopes to increase interest by sparking conversations about reading.
Numerous ideas to promote the "What did you read last night?" program have been proposed. Posters with the question will be posted throughout area schools, and various businesses will be contacted and are invited to participate by displaying the phrase. Various civic leaders have also been approached about the possibility of coming to classrooms and to talk about what they read last night.
"We want to incorporate people from the community as well," Cook said. "Civic leaders will participate and they may want to read to students. We want kids to know it's not just their teachers (who are interested in reading)."
The Thursday meeting spawned an idea regarding making "What did you read last night?" (WDYRLN) bracelets for students. Down the road, committee members hope to take enough photos to create a calendar.
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