March is National Reading Month, which usually starts with a celebration of reading through the National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America Week. In years past, many of the Reich College of Education’s (RCOE) students have volunteered their time to visit classrooms to read books.
As part of the Outreach and Philanthropy Committee of the Appalachian Educators Club, elementary education majors and committee co-chairs, Journey Barnes and Ashley McMurray, led the project “App Ed Reads”, where nine education majors read children's books aloud to pre-kindergarten through fifth grades students at Blowing Rock and Cove Creek Schools in celebration of the Read Across America event.
“Encouraging the kids to immerse themselves in stories and getting the chance to be a small part of their day reminds us why we chose this career path."
"Getting to visit classrooms and see real-life examples of the teachers we want to become is so important for us as education majors,” said Barnes. “Encouraging the kids to immerse themselves in stories and getting the chance to be a small part of their day reminds us why we chose this career path."
"AppEd Reads is a great opportunity for future educators to share their love of reading with kids," said Ashley McMurray.
Check out the complete list of readers and books:
- Drew Bailey, middle grades education major, read If I Ran the Circus, The Sky is Falling, and The Getaway.
- Journey Barnes, an elementary education major, read The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School.
- Brook Boyd, an elementary education major, read The Little Green Hen.
- Leo Fowell, an elementary education major, read The Day the Crayons Quit.
- Katelyn Fullbright, an elementary education major, read The Day the Crayons Quit.
- Averi Martin, a history, social studies education major, read Can a Cat Do That and The Princess and the Pony
- Anne Carol Sheely, Scholars with Diverse Abilities, read.
- Morgan Smith, an elementary education major, read Knight Owl and Nerdy Birdy.
- Julie Stubbs, a Spanish education major, read Abdul's Story.
Katelyn Fullbright and Julie Stubbs hold their books in front of the Blowing Rock School sign.
Housed in the James Center for Student Success and Advising, the Appalachian Educators Club is open to all education majors and anyone who is interested in supporting education. This project was part of the Outreach Committee, which plans events and activities around K-12 school visits to campus.
Brook Boyd holds book for App Ed Reads.
