Reading program resumes
Supporters hope more students will participate
By Chris Sykes Staff Writer

The field of education is littered with memorable slogans and sayings such as “ Reading Is Fundamental,“ and “ A mind is a terrible thing to waste.“ At Oakwood Avenue School, the theme is “ Read to Succeed.”

Read to Succeed is a supplemental language arts program that Six Flags, the people who operate the Great Adventure theme parks, and The Weekly Reader sponsor in schools across the country. The program also features the Six Flags Six Hour Reading Club, which encourages kids in kindergarten through sixth grade to complete six hours of recreational reading. The businesses reward them with free admission tickets to participating Six Flags theme parks.

The 2007- 08 school year was the first time Oakwood participated in the program, but they had minimal student participation — only two students. For the 2008-09 program, the school had five students who participated by reading books, newspapers, magazines or whatever they could get their hands on, unrelated to schoolwork, for six extra hours.

On June 22, Oakwood’s students and teachers were recognized for their participation in the Read to Succeed program. The students included Amaia Racines, a student in Dawn Drag’s first-grade class; Kayla Wade, a first-grader in Josephine Fagbemi’s class; Chennel Mahabir-Smith, in Rashidah Pugh’s second-grade class; Barry Caldwell Jr., a third-grader with Judy Richburg as a teacher; and Michael Simms, a fifth-grader in Candice Moe’s class.

“Sometimes it’s a little difficult to get children to read as much as we would like them to, but we try to pitch and promote it to them any way we can and, any program we come across that we can use to encourage reading, that’s what we do,” said Kalisha Morgan, the school’s principal. “ Everybody needs incentives, including adults, so we don’t think there’s anything wrong with rewarding kids for reading. Adults expect to get paid for working and, whether it’s pay checks or Great Adventure tickets, getting good results and participation is the name of the game.”

Carol Lukoff is a social worker within the district who helped organize the Read to Succeed program. With Morgan and City Councilwoman Donna K. Williams, Lukoff said they are hoping to get more student participation in this year’s program.

Another supporter of the program is the Rev. Reginald Jackson, a Board of Education member.

“Reading is critical. Show me a student who has difficulty in learning in terms of behavior and I’ll show you child who either doesn’t read or can’t read,” said Jackson, who also is pastor of St. Matthew AME Church along Oakwood Avenue, on the opposite side as the school. His congregation has adopted the school and works to help the students.“ It’s critical that we get children to start reading as early as possible because the earlier they start to read, it will benefit them throughout their lives.”