LTEF Awards Grants to Help Young Readers

Guided reading at school and home helps LPTS students.

If it is true that, "reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body," then the minds of hundreds of Lawrence Township students are getting plenty of additional mental exercise, thanks to several grants recently awarded by the Lawrence Township Education Foundation. These grants, which total nearly $18,000, will help encourage elementary students in Lawrence Schools to read more and help them to build the skills to enjoy reading.

As the local school district increases its emphasis on guided reading programs for emerging readers, LTEF has stepped in to fund leveled readers for several elementary schools. "This grant will ensure that high-quality, appropriately matched books are available each day to every child," says Lawrenceville Elementary teacher Phyllis Macpherson.

To encourage children and parents to read together at home, Bonnie Cherny of Ben Franklin requested "We Both Read" books that alternate text that an adult can read to a child with text that the child can read aloud.

Another grant is funding a program to support reading at home in families whose first language is not English. Fully 20 percent of Lawrence Township's elementary school students live in homes where languages other than English are spoken primarily. This grant will make children's literature available in a variety of world languages at all four Lawrence elementary schools.

Lastly, reluctant readers at Lawrence Intermediate School will now have high-interest graphic novels available to spark their interest. Cindy Westhead, Kathie Smith and Kathie Baldassari will join together to purchase the books and then form a book discussion group that will be led by role models such as high school athletes and local police.

Since 1992, Lawrence Township Education Foundation has contributed over $300,000 to support literacy and language arts programs in Lawrence Twp. Public Schools.