Read It Night Returns to Lincoln School

Dozens of elementary school kids and their parents filled the Lincoln School gym Thursday March 24 for the return of the school's Read-it Family Literacy Night.

Kids from preschool through sixth grade scattered throughout the gym to take part in several Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math activities, all tied to stories presented by staff members.

Lincoln school librarian Joanie Templeton said the Read-It program began under Kris Jacobson nearly 30 years ago. Templeton took over when Jacobsen retired and has hosted several Read-It nights since but said they haven't been able to host literacy night for the last two years, due to COVID 19.

"We talked as an elementary staff and decided we would do a STEAM night."

Activities ranged from using straws to push Styrofoam balls across the floor to creating paper airplanes using two loops of paper and a straw, to an extremely popular augmented reality program. The activity let kids color in drawings of horses, butterflies or ducks and balloons. They then used tablets to scan a QR code on the paper, which brought the drawings to life in a moving 3D image on their screens.

"The animation uses the same colors as those the kids use," Kindergarten teacher Kurtis Janzen said.

Templeton said the goal of the Read-it program is to try to get elementary students into the habit of reading at home each day. Screens may have become a mainstay for kids in recent years, but she doesn't think that presents a challenge to getting kids into reading books.

"Kids still love books, and they still love to read, especially our littles," she said. "I think when they get older, they get busier with sports, and it gets a little harder to fit in. I think in elementary, they're pretty good about fitting it in. Our teachers are really supportive of it."

Janzen said he tries to get his kindergarten students to read a book a day.

"This is just a night to celebrate it," he said.

This year, the school worked with local restaurants, the Optimist club and the Lincoln PTSO for Read-It night. Restaurants supplied $10 coupons for the kids who met their reading goal, and the Optimist Club provided a spaghetti dinner for the students and their family members. Joanne Nicolai, one of the club members serving dinner who joked her daughter Joanie "volunteered" her for the job.

"We had a good flow; it went well. We prepared for 150 and I think we did 125. That's a good turnout for this program," she said.

The PTSO supplied desert for the dinner and sprang for a book for every student between preschool and 6th grade.