What will the kids do this summer? READ!
LOREN BENOIT/Press A first-grade student glances through a Coeur d’Alene Public Library summer reading program pamphlet during Opening Books, Opening Doors backpack distribution day Wednesday at Dalton Elementary School.
A first-grade student glances through books during Opening Books, Opening Doors distribution day Wednesday at Dalton Elementary School. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
First- and second-grade students gather with their Opening Books, Opening Doors backpacks during distribution day Wednesday at Dalton Elementary School. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
DALTON GARDENS— Gasps of excitement and cries of joy could be heard in Dalton Elementary's multipurpose room Wednesday morning as students opened backpacks filled with brand-new books.
"Whoa! Sharks!" one student exclaimed as she pulled out Laaren Brown's "Super Sharks," a sticker book packed with shark facts.
Each backpack was individualized with a dozen books chosen by each student — "Curious George," "If You Give a Dog a Donut," "Magic Tree House," "Pete the Cat" and more.
"They have 12 books over the summer, and these are all books these kiddos have picked out themselves so they’re inclined to read them," said Amy Voeller, program manager of Opening Books, Opening Doors. "Research shows that they’ll keep their reading scores where they are from spring to fall instead of sliding during the summer."
Opening Books, Opening Doors is a program of the Innovia Foundation, an Inland Northwest organization that connects donors to regional causes. Opening Books, Opening Doors is focused on helping kids achieve reading proficiency by third grade, which is a critical time when kids need to know how to read so they can be successful as they continue their educations.
Voeller and her team this past week distributed books to about 700 Coeur d'Alene School District kindergarten-through-second-graders who struggle with reading. The books will encourage them to read even when they're out of school, and Innovia board members will be following up with handwritten cards to ask the kids questions about their books.
"It makes me light up to see them light up,” Voeller said. "They open up these backpacks and they know they picked out these books. Each child really gravitates toward a specific type of book. We have 'Magic Treehouse,' for example; some of the kids chose five 'Magic Treehouses,' so you know that they really like that. Some of them really wanted nonfiction.
"There are just no words to describe how much joy I feel when I see that joy in their faces and that we can foster a love for reading and a long-lasting ability to read," she said.
Dalton reading specialist Kelley Martin said she was grateful to live in such a generous community.
"It's a privilege to live in a community that places such a high priority on our students," she said. "It’s really the most thrilling thing as a teacher to see these kiddos connect with these books because we know reading changes lives. It’s not just a fun thing to do, and it’s not just a good skill to have. It literally transforms lives."
As she walked a handful of kids to put the packs in their lockers, she said the students shared their excitement.
"I heard, ‘I already have this book at home, so now I can share this one with my friend,’” she said. "Another one said, 'I wanted this one because it reminds me of my dog at home.'"
Principal Jody Hiltenbrand said Opening Books, Opening Doors and Innovia "do a tremendous amount for the school district with materials and training."
"These books for our students to keep up their reading skills over the summer are so important," she said.