Residents can chime in as schools celebrate books

Guests to help highlight written word during Nevada Reading Week

Next week, local schools will celebrate Nevada Reading Week with a variety of contests, events and guest readers.

The Clark County School District's theme this year is Ride the Reading Train, and teachers hope their students will get on board.

"This is just a time set aside to celebrate reading," said Rita Botzenhardt, elementary facilitator for the district's library services.

Because many schools use guests to read to the students, community members are encouraged to volunteer for the job. The best way to do so is to call a school nearby and ask for the librarian, who usually coordinates Nevada Reading Week for the facility.

"We always encourage more guest readers," said librarian Amy Mufson from downtown's Cambeiro Elementary School.

Typically, school librarians and literacy specialists mail out solicitation letters well in advance of the week to try to encourage people to volunteer to be readers. The time commitment for reading varies from one hour to multiple days, but most schools are happy just to have an hour of volunteers' time.

"Guest readers are great," said Karin Rich, literacy specialist for Wynn Elementary School in Spring Valley. "The kids really think it's a treat."

Because it is a year-round school, Wynn is going to celebrate Nevada Reading Week for nine days so all of its students get a chance to participate.

The school will be hosting a number of contests, including having a mystery reader read an excerpt from a book over the school's public announcement system every day.

"I think it gets them really excited about reading," Rich said. "It builds a lot of community."

At schools throughout the valley, students will be dressing inside out and backwards, wearing crazy socks, and some may come dressed like Dr. Seuss during the week-long celebration of reading.

"Every day, the students will be dressing differently," said Diane Gilles, librarian for Wright Elementary School in southwest.

Wright also will be hosting a mystery reader, in addition to Stop Drop and Read and book bingo.

At Goolsby Elementary School in Summerlin, children will have to carry a poem in their pocket for one day, dress up like train engineers the next, and they, like many others around the valley, can "get caught" reading by their teachers.

Through the Catch You Reading program, children sign up to get caught reading, and teachers and staff volunteer to call students from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Students who are reading when called will receive prizes.

"We usually have a pretty good turnout for that," said Nicole Bylina-Streets, librarian at Goolsby Elementary School.

Gilles explained that having people come into the school from the outside gives students a sense that reading is vital, even in life after their elementary school careers.

"Every day is reading day and every week is reading week, but we set aside one week a year for the students, staff and the community to showcase the joy of reading," Botzenhardt said. "The week was established statewide over 30 years ago as a way to celebrate the value of reading in everyone's life."

Residents interested in getting involved with Nevada Reading Week either by donating time, money or books may contact their local schools.