“Reading and writing impact every aspect of life in school and beyond.” According to the Department of Education, the more students read or are read to for fun on their own time and at home, the higher their general reading scores. In recent years, Wisconsin students have had a decline in reading scores which is something that educators are quickly working to eradicate. On October 19th, dedicated teachers of the Stanley-Boyd Elementary School worked together to host Fall Family Literacy Night in the elementary gym to impart Stanley-Boyd families with the tools they need to improve their child’s reading, comprehension, and vocabulary.

During an informative presentation led by teachers Andrea Mahr and Lisa Eslinger, teachers shared ways that families can incorporate reading and phonemic awareness skills into everyday life. They explained that decoding and language comprehension equals reading comprehension. To increase a student’s decoding ability, they said to segment words to build phonetic awareness and discuss letters from speech to print. Reading together and discussing the vocabulary words and their meanings can help with language comprehension. They added that it is important to use high level vocabulary words in your daily interactions.

Eslinger said, “The more words they (students) know the easier everything is going to fall into place as they read.”

Mahr then demonstrated quick ways that families can practice techniques to make learning an enjoyable experience. Parents and students were then encouraged to participate in literacy games and activities to show the fun and easy ways to introduce learning for families on the go. A video presentation from Dr. Tammy Tilletson was shared to teach families how to come together to engage students at home and increase their language development.

“After all, you were their first educator,” Tilletson said. She then explained that teaching children to learn to read and write can be “tricky but not impossible.” “Talk, talk, talk,” she said  suggesting that parents focus on conversations and added that having conversations at home helps to build vocabulary and to understand syntax, which is the structure of language and how words are used in different order.

Members of the D.R. Moon Memorial Library shared the adventures of the library throughout the years along with the future expansion plans to create a safe and inclusive space for learning in our community. Library Board President Cathy Ryba and Library Director Elizabeth Miniatt explained how the D.R. Moon Memorial Library has been a fixture in the Stanley Community since 1901 and how they are working to raise funds to have the Library grow to meet the changing needs of the future. The D.R. Moon Memorial Library is one of only thirty-eight libraries in Wisconsin to be on the National Register of Historic Places. The new Library expansion won’t take away from the history of the building but it will connect the history of the past with the growth of the future while creating a place for intellectual freedom, community inclusivity, and increased literacy. Families were very excited to hear about the new community room to be built in the lower level of the Library that will be available to the public free of charge.

After the presentation, students and families broke into groups and visited various classrooms where teachers read a story and shared an interactive activity. Some activities included Tracing Letters in Shaving Cream, Build a Word Mystery and a student favorite, Game of Quotes. Attendees left the event with smiles on their faces and armed with literacy techniques to implement at home.  Families in the Stanley Boyd School District are lucky to have teachers who genuinely care about their students and work hard to help them have a brighter future. Go Orioles!