SALISBURY – Salisbury Academy translated “Howdy Partner” into parent partnering last Thursday during the school’s Reading Rodeo.
This annual family event for kindergarten through second-grade students provides a hands-on learning experience for both parents and students on how to read together.
“This event helps parents learn new ways to reinforce the literacy skills we teach at school when they are at home,” said Melissa Brown, Salisbury Academy reading specialist. “The Salisbury Academy Reading Rodeo provides a family-school partnership of working together to help the child build a positive attitude towards reading, writing, and speaking; thus promoting success with literacy skills.
“It’s also a great way to bring families and teachers together.”
The night began with a hearty cowboy supper and a warm partner welcome from Cowboy Paul Brown. He kicked off the event by introducing West Rowan High School freshmen Tanner Floyd and junior Tray Floyd who demonstrated their roping skills. The students then joined in singing cowboy songs before breaking off into literacy centers.
Students and parents divided into groups and rotated through literary stations. These stations included literacy activities and tasks for each grade level that the parents can implement at home.
“The Reading Rodeo at Salisbury Academy is a creative event that educates parents about ways to partner with us to help children improve reading, writing and spelling skills,” said Jody Robins, first-grade teacher. “We presented activities and manipulative to help make homework and studying enjoyable instead of a chore.”
Parents and students learned strategies to encourage and improve students’ reading and writing skills. Parents also learned techniques in reading with their children, ways to build students vocabulary, and ways to teach how to write proper sentences. Teachers introduced ways for the parents to practice listening to their children read aloud, check for reading comprehension, play rhyming games at home, and encourage their children to write proper sentences. Parents and students then had the opportunity to practice these techniques.
“Our Reading Rodeo seeks to improve students’ attitudes towards reading, writing and other literacy skills,” Brown said. “The goal is to help the students see that learning these skills can be a fun, but educational, experience.”