Local WBH Students Participate in March Book Madness to Promote Reading

WBH students from 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades participated in a reading challenge called March Book Madness. The challenge, held in February and March, aimed to promote reading among students through a bracket-style tournament. Literacy Coach Val Falco said the goal was to increase students' interest in reading and expose them to different topics and genres.

In the challenge, 2nd and 3rd graders were part of the picture book brackets, where teachers read to them. 5th and 6th graders read middle-grade chapter books. To vote, students filled out online forms explaining why they preferred one book over another, promoting critical thinking about the characters and themes.

Second-grade Teacher Kelli Heslin said her students were enthusiastic about the challenge and eager to learn which book would advance. She noted an increase in students' interest in reading. During the read-aloud sessions, 6th-grade Science Teacher Christopher Bonacquisti noticed that students were engaged in the stories. 5th and 6th graders also had the chance to interact with authors, gaining insight into the writing process.

WBH plans to extend the March Book Madness challenge to all grades next year, as it has been successful in encouraging students to read more and explore various literary genres and topics.

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