Students shine through reading skills

Posted: Jan. 31, 2012

Rolling Hills Elementary kindergarten student Katelyn Kaczinski looked up and smiled as she turned each page of the book, "When Grandma Visits Me," as she read aloud to interpretive reading judge Kim Hinz, a first-grade teacher at Rolling Hills. Finishing the book Kaczinski beamed as Hinz congratulated her on looking up from her reading, one of the elements of reading aloud that can challenge young readers.

The dusting of snow that morning highlighted the "Snow is falling, books are calling," theme of the 10th anniversary of the Mukwonago Area School District's Interpretive Reading event where 300 young readers from across the district converged on Prairie View Elementary School on Saturday.

Ten years ago, Prairie View fourth-grade teacher Lori Wagner brought the idea of hosting such an event to Mukwonago after her first-grade daughter, Erin, participated in an interpretive reading event in Oconomowoc, where they lived at the time. Interpretive reading, or dramatic reading where the reader shares an interpretation of the author by reading a selection aloud with expression, provides reading practice and bolsters confidence in young readers.

"The pride she came home with that day was priceless," Wagner recalled. "To get public recognition for something she worked hard at every day was such motivation for her."

After taking the idea to Principal Tracy Hein, who agreed to offer Prairie View as the first host school, the idea was presented to the school's parent group which visited the Oconomowoc event for information on starting an interpretive reading system in Mukwonago.

"My hat goes off to that group, whose kids are now also probably graduating or have graduated from high school," said Wagner. "They embraced it and ran with it."

Since that first year, the event has been modified and rotates to a different elementary building each year with Big Bend scheduled to act as the host site next year.

"It was very exciting and encouraging to see so many Mukwonago Area Schools families coming out on a winter day to encourage and support literacy. The schools cannot do it alone. We need family members to model reading, encourage reading and support reading every day. The Interpretive Reading Event is one way for families to show this outward support for reading," said Michelle Lammers, Prairie View library technology specialist.

Superintendent Paul Strobel judged the event, which had more than 30 district staff members who volunteered to help make the morning successful.

"Saturday's interpretive reading event is a great example in Mukwonago of Students, Staff and the Community Building Better Schools Together. We had parents bring over 300 students out on a Saturday morning to read. The students themselves were motivated to come to school on a Saturday when they could have just slept in or have done something else with their time," said Strobel. "All three groups (parents, students, staff) needed to work together to make this a success. It is one major reason that Mukwonago has so many proficient and advanced readers in our schools."

"Little did we know when we started Interpretive Reading in 2002 that the event would become such a tradition for our families," said Hein. "It was wonderful watching our readers come in with their siblings, parents, grandparents, (and in some cases, aunts, uncles and cousins!) in tow, and be full of anticipation and excitement. When it comes right down to it, it's refreshing that something so simple and basic can unite so many and bring a sense of pride to a kid who might otherwise not have the opportunity to shine."