Celebrate Nevada Reading Week – February 25-29, 2008

Literacy and reading are the epitome of what education is all about.  Nevada Reading Week was established 21 years ago by the Nevada chapter of the International Reading Association. This year’s theme is “Ride the Reading Train.”  On my TV show recently, School Superintendent Walt Rulffes discussed how Clark County citizens can and do support Nevada Reading Week, by volunteering to read at local schools. In fact, Dr. Rulffes with his companion puppet in tow, read at schools throughout the district during Nevada Reading Week to appropriately lead by example.

Virtually every school in the Clark County School District schedules special Reading Week activities to engage community support for reading and literacy. One school I know of invites “mystery” celebrity readers to make the morning announcements over the intercom then read a book passage or chapter. At the end of the exercise, the mystery guest reader announces their identity to the entire student body, then proceeds to classrooms to read some more and answer questions.

Another school I know stages an over-the-top magic show, but it’s not just a vehicle to entertain. By design, the magician regales students about the joys and wonders of reading. It just so happens that the magician at this school happens to also be a classroom teacher, which has the added advantage of putting students in the frame of mind to be more receptive to learning.

District-wide there are reading sleepovers, special assemblies, Family Literacy Nights, Stop-Drop-And-Read, Vocabulary Day, Storytellers, Book Giveaways, and Dr. Seuss Celebrations. You name it--if it involves getting kids excited about reading and literacy—it’s probably celebrated in some shape, form, or fashion during Nevada Reading Week.

It may all seem like just fun and games. But in today’s climate where electronics like the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation video game consoles captivate young people’s attention when they’re away from school, educators need an extra edge to facilitate the learning process when students are in school. Thus Nevada Reading Week serves as a shining example of a successful endeavor that makes kids receptive to the storehouse of knowledge that will produce educated citizens who can take their rightful place in society as productive, taxpaying citizens.

At a school board meeting near the end of the month, the Southern Nevada Reading Council was scheduled to present student winners of the Nevada Reading Week Logo Contest. The involvement of education stakeholders in Nevada Reading Week is a prime example of the broad-based cooperation that is essential for our public schools to truly succeed.

Ray’s show “Inside Education” airs weekly:

Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. on Channel 10

Wednesdays at 12:30 a.m. on Channel 10

Fridays at 4:30 p.m. on Cox Cable Channel 111

Sundays at 6 a.m. on Channel 10