| What is Saint Paul Reads? |  | Imagine motivating students to read 9.3 million books.
That has
been the result of Saint Paul Reads, a project launched by Saint Paul
Public Schools Superintendent Patricia Harvey in 1999.
A central goal of Saint Paul Reads is to help students improve their reading skills.
Research
shows that reading improves a student’s comprehension, grammar and
vocabulary skills. This in turn improves a student’s capacity to learn
in all areas.
Based on this research, and on the
recommendation of the International Reading Association and the
National Council of Teachers of English, Superintendent Harvey annually
challenges all Saint Paul students, staff and citizens to read at least
25 books.
For the school district and its students, the results
of this initiative have been important. For example, the percentage of
eight graders passing the Minnesota Basic Standards Reading Test has
increased from 49% in the spring of 1999 to 57.6% in 2004.
Each
fall, schools kick-off their Saint Paul Reads 25 with a wide variety of
celebrations. Some schools have parades; other schools invite
celebrities to come in and talk about reading. Whatever the method,
many of our students read many more than 25 books each year.
To
spur this level of reading a healthy competition has been created. Each
year, the elementary school and secondary school that reads the
greatest number of books per student receives a six-foot tall Snoopy
statue that their school keeps for one year.
Saint Paul Reads 25
got a big boost from Museum Magnet Elementary and Cleveland Middle
School. The students at those schools read 118,426 books and 13,145
books respectively last school year, making them number one in reading.
Saint
Paul Reads Citywide Book Club and Saint Paul Reads Citywide Book Club
for Kids is another tool that creates a community discussion around one
book targeted at adults and one at youth. From the Saint Paul Public
Libraries to the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, our many partners have
helped to make this a meaningful part of the project.
Examples of Saint Paul Reads Partnership Activities:
Then-Governor Jesse Ventura appeared in TV public service announcements.
Author Caroline Kennedy spoke at a special public event.
Minnesota Public Radio’s highly successful “Talking Volumes” series
featured author Christopher Paul Curtis, the author of the book
selected for Saint Paul Reads Citywide Book Club for that year.
Lawson Software created an online tracking system for students to count the number of books read throughout the year.
Business partners have matched Reading is Fundamental dollars to purchase books.
Saint Paul Public Library’s foundation buys the selected book for its system.
Funding Priorities:
complete leveled libraries for schools
match donations for books on impactschools.org
promote Saint Paul Read and literacy on billboards, service trucks and bus sides
author-in-residence series, including binding books written by students
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