On Friday, February 27, School of Education faculty Dr. Elisha Lawrence and Dr. Ellen Ford partnered with the Taylor County Library to host students in our School of Education Beulah Campbell Room for a celebration of reading, combining Jumpstart Reading and the Read Across America events.
As sponsor of Aspiring Educators, Dr. Elisha Lawrence secured funds to help with a reading event in partnership with the Taylor County Library. This was the School of Education's third year in a row to receive this Read Across America (RAA) grant for our Aspiring Educators Chapter: https://www.kea.org/kea-read-across-america-grants-are-open/
In addition, Dr. Lawrence and Dr. Ellen Hamilton-Ford personalized this year's reading event to include Jumpstart, with Taylor County Public Library's Children's Librarian, Antonia Bottoms.
https://www.tcplibrary.org/event/read-across-america-special-story-hour-4474
Lou Ann Flanagan from the Kentucky Education Association also attended. (It was KEA Aspiring Educators who awarded the CU SoE the RAA grant that funded the event and purchased the Jumpstart books this year.
Highlights:
- 13 preschool students, and an older student participated as well.
- CU students (from multiple School of Education classes earned an hour of clinical experience as they set up, served, and cleaned up).
- 5 professors
- 4 Taylor County Public Library staff
- 8 Parents
10:15-10:22 Rotation 1
10:22-10:30 Rotation 2
10:30-10:38 Rotation 3
10:38-10:46 Rotation 4
10:46-10:55 Rotation 5
Station 1: Show-n-Tell on plant activities completed with a STEM greenhouse (ordered by the RAA grant funds), and students completed puzzles from the SoE Montessori room.
Station 2: Watercolor Station with watercolors purchased by RAA grant funds,
and watercolor paper with pre-printed images provided by the library.
Station 3: Book Mobile (students checked out books for home).
Station 4: Sorting Station with hands-on foods from the library (students learned about veggies and fruits - what is grown and how it compares to other sources--meats, breads, etc.).
Station 5: Sensory Bin activities created by Antonio Bottoms (our guests were able to use garden tools purchased by the RAA grant funds).
Each attendee also received a gift bag with a Jumpstart book and flower seeds purchased by the RAA grant funds. Antonio Bottoms donated planters and dirt for our participants (to also take home to plant their seeds and watch their plants grow).
