Colonial School District: Whitemarsh Elementary Shared Bedtime Stories During Read Across America Week

Press release from the Colonial School District:

2021-03-10

On one of the evenings, the children were challenged to find green things in their house to match the green theme of the stories.

Whitemarsh Elementary School students had the unique experience of being read a bedtime story by their favorite teachers as part of the school's celebration of Read Across America Week.

Read Across America takes place during the first week of March, and Whitemarsh Elementary found a creative way to celebrate through the organization of Zoom bedtime story hours for each grade level. Each evening featured a different theme, and the stories and clothing students were encouraged to wear reflected that theme. For example, on March 4, second-grade students were asked to wear something green, and the stories they listened to all had a green theme. Some of the books included "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Cactus," "Green Eggs and Ham", and "Hug Me."

In between book readings, children were encouraged to find green objects in their house to show the rest of the group via Zoom. Parents and their children enjoyed the opportunity to hear books read by teachers who were both familiar and not so familiar.

"Both Kai and his little sister were enthralled to hear some of their favorite books read by new voices and new faces. And we enjoyed the books we'd never read before as well," said parent Lilli Foster, who noted her son was so inspired by the bedtime stories he went a little overboard selecting books through the school's Virtual Book Fair.

Read Across America is sponsored across the country by the National Education Association and in the District by the Colonial Education Association. This year the event focuses on the celebration of diverse readers and writers. Colonial School District has embraced this theme in a number of different ways across its schools.

This press release was produced by the Colonial School District .The views expressed here are the author’s own.