Severn News

First Graders Celebrate a Year of 445 Books!

1/8/2024

Last week our first-grade classes celebrated reading 445 books this year with an ice cream party and award ceremony. Our first-grade teachers Ms. Custer and Ms. Wong encourage their classes to read all year long through the Bookworm program with weekly featured readers. Part of our robust language arts curriculum, this program helps our students develop fluency, accuracy, comprehension, and most of all, confidence through reading.

What is Bookworm?

Bookworm is a weekly reading incentive program that motivates our students to read at home, read at school and read to one another every week. The element of choice is an important part of the program. Our first graders and their parents select the books based on the child's interests. The only requirement is that the books present a challenge for our young readers. Books for this program should be just above each child’s reading level to push them to explore new words, sentence structure, and concepts.

Severn School first graders holding reading trophies — *Our proud first graders with their Bookworm reading trophies!*

Reading as a Community

Once they select their books, our first graders practice at home until they feel comfortable reading the book aloud from start to finish. They then bring the book to school to read to their classmates in small groups or one-on-one. The act of reading aloud not only gives the reader a chance to demonstrate what they’ve learned, but also to model good reading practices for the class. This supportive, shared reading environment benefits our Bookworm readers and listeners alike. Every student can participate at the developmental level that is just right for them.

Severn School first grader reads to her classmates — *A bookworm session in action!*

After our first-grade Bookworms read to their peers, they complete a book report form and add a sticker to the class "bookworm." This year, both classes read over 220 books!

Image of bookworm stickers on a wall outside of classroom. — *Our first-grade classroom "bookworms" grow longer every week.*

Throughout the year, each class sets goals with regular rewards culminating with the end-of-the-year ice cream party. These celebrations help build confidence in our young readers as they develop a love for reading to last throughout their lives.

Severn School first graders making ice cream sundaes. — *Ice cream sundaes served by parent volunteers for all of our first-grade readers!*

Severn School first graders holding reading certificates — *Every first-grade Bookworm received a reading trophy — this group also received certificates for reading above and beyond!*

Making Learning Fun

At Severn Lower School, we develop the whole-child through robust academic and social programs founded on research, best practices, and educational standards. Our goal is to nurture students’ curiosity and talents, to engage students in risk-taking in a positive and respectful manner, and to promote a passion for lifelong learning. Our first-grade Bookworm program is just one example of how our teachers not only make learning fun, but challenge our students to grow each year.

Learn more about our kindergarten through grade 5 academic curriculum