 There's something amiss at the Wayside School. The building is sideways and everyone reads upside down. Understandably, the school's newest student, Todd, is having a little trouble adjusting. But it's a lot of fun to watch him try.
Todd is the main character of Lous Sachar's beloved children's classic Sideways Stories From Wayside School, a book that students from Dickinson's chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) used to spark a love of reading among local elementary-school students.
The education honors society members read a chapter of the book to 3rd- and 4th-grade students at Mt. Holly Springs Elementary School, then created learning stations where students could participate in activiites that reinforced what they had read.
"They had a Pictionary station, a spelling station, a literature discussion station, and a question and answer station, which was very cute," says Elizabeth Lewis, assistant professor of education, one of four faculty members who particpated in the event.
"More than one teacher told us that their students would remember this event all year."
-Elizabeth Lewis
To keep interest high, KDP members gave each elementary-school student a certificate of participation and a copy of the book, so that they could continue reading on their own.
The activity was part of a two-day program called "Reading Together: Dickinson College and Mt. Holly Springs Elementary School." According to Lewis, the event marks the first time that Boiling Springs Elementary participated in the KDP's annual "Reading Together" program.
"More than one teacher told us that their students will remember this event all year," says Lewis. " Many of the teachers were so impressed with the materials our students created for the event, they asked to borrow them to use them as prototypes for their own instructional creations. Our students were very flattered!"
KDP plans to work with Mt. Holly Springs again next year. |
