By Andi Anderson
The Read Across Iowa program, organized by Professor Constance Beecher at Iowa State University’s School of Education, is an annual effort that provides elementary school teachers in the state with free books, lesson plans, and activities for their classrooms during the month of March. The focus of the program is on food and agriculture, aiming to promote the importance of reading and highlight the connections between reading and agriculture in Iowa.
The program has been successful in reaching around 72,000 young Iowans in all 99 counties in just a few years. Professor Beecher emphasizes the month-long celebration as a public service campaign to underscore the significance of reading, particularly in the context of agriculture in the state.
Volunteers are involved in packing up 1,000 book kits to be shipped out to teachers statewide. Teachers were given the opportunity to sign up for the free book kits online, and all 1,000 kits have already been claimed. Despite the limited availability of free books, the program offers teachers access to lesson plans and other program elements on the website.
Professor Beecher, the family literacy state specialist through Human Sciences Extension and Outreach, highlights the importance of reading to young children for language and literacy development. The program's changing themes each year keep it engaging and fun for students. This year's theme is food science, exploring the science behind various types of food.
The books distributed this year cover topics such as bread baking, making ice cream, and turning grapes into jelly, aligning with the food science theme. The program provides links to simple recipes and video recordings with the authors. For instance, the book "Bread Lab," written by individuals from Washington State University's bread lab, introduces children to the science behind recipes, food development, and food safety, showcasing potential careers in these fields.
The ISU Extension collaborates with Iowa 4H and the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation on this program, emphasizing the collective effort to promote literacy and agricultural education in the state.
Photo Credit: pexels-fauxels
Categories: Iowa, Education