New school reading project at RWE

Stephanie Boren, Reading Specialist and Interventionist at Ralph Witter’s Elementary, announced a new school reading project. She gave each family of the students in the school a copy of “C is for Cowboy,” a Wyoming Alphabet book. The teachers and students will spend a week reading and talking about the book to build vocabulary and to learn about our great state.

Boren states, “The benefits of reading aloud to all students are truly remarkable. Studies have shown that reading to children helps them to listen better and longer, to build bigger vocabularies, to understand concepts better, to feel positive about both books and learning, and much more.”

“C is for Cowboy” is written by Eugene Gagliano and illustrated by Susan Guy. It has high-quality watercolor illustrations that take the readers through each letter which features something special about Wyoming. It is artistic, immersive and educational, providing specific information about the state. 

For example, J is for Jackalope explains the history of Douglas Herrick, the taxidermist who created the first horned jackrabbit. With each letter of the alphabet, Gagliano writes a small poem and then provides a background for its subject matter. 

Boren also said, “When an entire school reads the same book, the buzz and excitement around the book augments these benefits. Reading a book brings the added joy of building and expanding a sense of community among students, parents, teachers and staff and beyond.”

Not only are students going to read this special book, but they will also be writing and publishing a new school book titled, “H is for Hot Springs County”. Homeroom classes will be writing and illustrating pages for their book. The book will be available for pre-ordered purchase at Ralph Witter’s Elementary.