MCSD Elementary Students Get Free Books Through ‘Reading is Fundamental’ Grant

by Robert Maharry

The Times Republic is a local news outlet located in Marshalltown, IA.  

For the second year in a row, Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) elementary students who attended Bobcat University over the summer got a chance to snag some free books as a token of appreciation for their efforts thanks to a federal “Reading is Fundamental” grant. 

The kids had three opportunities to swing by and pick up to 10 of their favorites or soon-to-be favorites, with both English and Spanish options available, at the Orpheum Welcome Center. They were also treated to a screening of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” a famous page to screen adaptation, once they picked out their books. 

On Thursday afternoon, MCSD Director of Instruction Shauna Smith talked about how important it is to promote reading and keep the yearlong cycle of learning intact for all students. 

“A lot of research shows that the more books students have access to at home, the higher the likelihood that students will be proficient readers by third grade,” she said. “So it’s just a really cool program to get to do back to back years. If students were here with us last year, they had 10 books added to their at home library, and then here we go again. So they could have 20, and we continue and they continue in Bobcat University, our summer school learning program, and they’ll just continuously add to their library.” 

Smith added that the “Pete the Cat” series by Eric Litwin was particularly popular with younger readers as the kindergarten group scoured through them when it was their turn to pick out books. Litwin made an author visit to Marshalltown during the 2023-2024 school year. 

“It’s just kind of interesting to see that spark of love for reading and then how they’re associating that author visit with the physical books four months later,” Smith said. 

And if a student sees a book in class or at the school library that he or she already has at home, they’re ultimately more likely to make the connection and read it. Smith also wanted to be sure to credit PK-6 Curriculum and Professional Development Leader Erica Finders for the application and execution of the Reading is Fundamental grant.  

This article originally appeared on the Times Republican website. View the original post here.