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University of Wyoming

ALBANY COUNTY READS PROGRAM RECEIVES GRANT FOR THIRD GRADERS!

Nov. 6, 2003 -- A grant from Reading is Fundamental and Coca-Cola is introducing Albany County third graders to the joys of reading and writing nonfiction.

The $20,000 grant from the "Reading Takes You Places" partnership is for the Albany County Reads program, and is one of 13 proposals funded nationally for the 2003-04 academic year.

"Our primary goal is to increase interest and motivation in nonfiction reading," says Margaret Hudson, University Lab School reading teacher and project co-director. "Our secondary goal is to provide professional development to teachers to enable them to support their students in reading and writing nonfiction texts."

The University Lab School is located within the UW College of Education. Hudson and Linda Goldman, Spring Creek Elementary School librarian, wrote the grant proposal and serve as project co-directors. Albany County Reads sponsors the project, but many entities are collaborating on implementation, Hudson says. Other project partners are Albany County School District 1, the UW College of Education, Albany County Public Library, Albany County Game and Fish, The Raptor Society, the Laramie Animal Shelter, the Laramie Children's Museum and Laramie County Community College. Dave Williams, principal at Thayer and Spring Creek elementary schools, and Susan Simpson, Albany County Public Library director, also helped in the planning process.

Grant funds will support initiatives by third grade teachers to introduce nonfiction to their students. Science and nature will be the focus of a series of Saturday morning sessions at the Albany County Public Library.

A visit from nature writer Laurence Pringle will close the project. Students will read at least one of Pringle's books and develop questions for his April visit.

"Nonfiction is a lot better than it used to be," says project in-service consultant Barbara Chatton, UW professor of elementary and early childhood education. Her goal is to introduce teachers to what is available today, and ways to use those texts in fulfilling language arts and science standards. She facilitated an introductory in-service teacher training to
teachers.

"That exposure jump-started a lot of the teachers to want to use it in the classroom," says Deb Parkinson, UW assistant professor of elementary and early childhood education. A follow-up session, facilitated by Chatton and addressing teacher interests, is scheduled in February.

Read more detail in the next Blackboard!