Churchville-Chili Elementary School showcased their first Page Turners reading exhibition this year. Three teams of voracious fourth grade readers faced off in front of the entire fourth grade class in the school gymnasium. They were determined to share their knowledge of the books they read this semester as a result of their participation in Page Turners. Questions were asked by reading teacher Betsy Pereira and third grade teacher Amy Ciszak, and the answers came quickly and confidently from the teams. During short breaks from the action, team members shared with their audience why they love reading so much.
Club members committed to reading five grade-level books on their own time and meeting together once a week after school for book-related discussions and related activities. The 21 students read books ranging from graphic novels to nonfiction.
“This is our first year of Page Turners,” said Pereira. “It’s a wonderful enrichment opportunity for students who love to read, or who want to learn to love to read. Surprisingly, many of our most enthusiastic team members were not the most accomplished readers to begin with.” The extended day activity is a way to build stamina, confidence and reading comprehension — skills that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The club is made possible with funding from the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which supports afterschool, summer and extended school day programs that promote enrichment opportunities, student engagement and learning recovery.