The halls of Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary School were buzzing with excitement Thursday night, as Nacogdoches ISD elementary school students and parents gathered for the third annual "Summer Reading is REaD HOT" Family Literacy Night.
The purpose of the event was to encourage parental involvement in dealing with literacy, according to Malinda Lindsey, NISD director of literacy, social studies and dyslexia.
Christy Wooten/The Daily Sentinel |
Pyann Spencer, from left, 6, reads a word from a beach ball as Hannah Spake, 7, and Dallas Porter, 4, wait for their turn during a district wide Family Literacy Night Thursday at Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary School. Students then thought of a rhyming word and went fishing for a free book. Many booths with similar games were set up throughout the school.
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Throughout the event, free books were given out to the students.
"The parents and the students seem really excited about getting the books," Lindsey said, "and the parents seem to be very receptive."
One activity, "Catch a Good Book This Summer," drew a major crowd.
Yvonne Fogle, Nettie Marshall Elementary School teacher, said the students enjoyed "fishing" for books.
"They loved it," Fogle said. "A lot of them said 'We love fishing.' I can tell that some of them must have been fishing before with their parents."
Free hot dogs, chips and drinks were given to those in attendance, and students also had the opportunity to make "dirt and worm" desserts out of cookies and gummy worms.
Each parent who attended the event received a "bag of goodies" that included different activities they can use over the summer to encourage literacy with their children.
Activities included a book walk, build-a-book and a preview of next year's Bluebonnet Books.
BQJ fourth-grade student Hugo Lopez was accompanied to the literacy night by his mother, Esperanza Lopez, and they both said they enjoyed the event.
Esperanza Lopez said her favorite part of the night was seeing the many books that were donated to her son.
Hugo said he liked the books, as well as the games.
Of the free books that were available, Hugo chose "A Dinosaur Named Sue," and "King of the Pirates."
"I like dinosaurs and fiction books, but I also like pirates," Hugo said.
Hugo said he also enjoyed creating his own book.
"When you make the book, you get to be the author," he said.
Robin Miller, whose sons, Cody Miller and Carson Miller, attend BQJ, said she enjoyed making a book with her sons.
"I came because it promotes reading and helps the kids read better," she said, adding that although this was her first time attending the event, she said she would attend it next year.
"This makes learning so much fun," she said.
