Students in Kaylee Cooper’s 3rd-grade class at Bancroft Elementary School in Spring Valley were treated to a visit from KGTV ABC10 News anchor Melissa Mecija on Wednesday, December 13th. The local journalist and a team from ABC10 were visiting as part of the station’s “If you give a child a book…” story time and book fair.
Nearly 30 third-graders enjoyed Mecija reading to them, asking questions about their reading habits, likes, and dislikes, and talking about the fun, adventure, and importance of reading.
After the reading was done each child was able to select five books to take home, as well as a backpack and stocked pencil case, courtesy of ABC 10News, the San Diego Council on Literacy, and the Scripps Howard Fund
“It’s great to see their faces light up,” said Ms. Mecija. “I’ve noticed a lot of the kids are very generous because they talk about their siblings and that they’re going to share the books with them as well. So I feel like it not only impacts the student but the entire family.”
In addition to story time and the book fair a photographer from ABC10 was on hand to take pictures of students with their new books, adding another element of fun to the event.
Said the children’s teacher, Ms. Cooper, “This is such a great way to get them reading and get them excited to go home when they have winter break; they have reading to dive into so it’s very cool. These families are really grateful.”
Ms. Cooper also talked about the impact of children being able to choose their books. “What does it mean for them to be able to pick their own books? It’s great! When they have the buy-in of, ‘Oh, I love this character, I love this type of book,’ then they’re more motivated to figure out how to read the book and it gets them more engaged and excited to read.”
Said Bancroft Principal Nathan Saucedo, “Reading is a foundation of everything that they [the students] want to do. Being able to pick up any book and open up their imaginations and the possibilities that are out there. So I think it’s really important for them to have those skills to be able to read. It sets them up for success by making sure that they have a foundation.”
All photos courtesy La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools.
