Summer Reading at HopRec!

This summer marked the seventh consecutive year of the Hopkinton Recreation Summer Read Aloud Program!  The program invites Chariho staff members to volunteer an hour of their time to read aloud to the camp's participants.  (The reading program is also took place in Charlestown!)  The students get so excited when they know one of the teachers who has shown up to read to them!

Like last year, I started off the first session by introducing the children to the available books with a short "book talk".  Then each child was allowed to select which reading group to join.  In the past we split them up by grade, but we've decided that it's even better to offer them a choice.  Not only did that increase their excitement, but it also introduced them to titles that they might decide to pick up and read on their own! 
  

This year's chapter book selections from the list of RICBA nominees!

Normally I select three books, but this year the decision was simply too difficult and I ended up bringing four.  All came from a list of books nominated for the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award (RICBA).  During the school year, students are encouraged to read at least three of the books from the list in order to vote for the winner.  In addition, several of the schools (including Ashaway) hold competitions called the Rooster Games based these nominees.  By selecting books from this list, the children participating in HopRec will already have one of these books completed by the end of the summer or, at least, will have gotten an extended preview!

Mrs. Potter, a 5th grade teacher from CMS

 
In addition to our "chapter book" groups, I also bring along a bin of picture books with related activities for the younger kids.  Here's our own Mrs. Bliven reading to a group of campers.  (That's one of her daughters on her lap!) 

Some of the older kids enjoy having the opportunity to be the "reader leader"!

We had some terrific volunteer campers who enthusiastically jumped in to help whenever we needed more readers.  They did an outstanding job and I was so impressed with their initiative!

No matter which group a child joined, every one of them spent an hour each week interacting with some excellent books.  It truly is a wonderful program, and I'm very proud to be a part of it.  My sincerest thanks go out to the fabulous staff at the camp who were so accommodating in order to make it all possible and to the teachers who volunteered to participate!