Rachel Rippetoe |
More than 100 kids and their parents gathered Sunday in the Chiles Center to knock over bowling pins and jump through hula hoops, eat cookies, talk to author Raymond Macalino, and most importantly, read.
Members of Kappa Delta Phi, the School of Education’s honor society, put on their annual reading fair for students in the neighborhood. The event was geared towards children in grades ranging from preschool to 6th grade, and the point was to get kids involved in reading.
The fair allowed the children, especially those with low-income families, to take home books for free.
“I guess the best part is getting the kids excited about something,” sophomore, Matthew Nelson, a Kappa Delta Phi officer and reading fair co-chair said. “When they find these books and get excited to go home and open them up, that’s what is really rewarding for me.”
The reading fair has been an annual tradition at UP for more than 20 years, making it an anticipated family event for many UP neighboring households.
“A lot of people come in and say, ‘This has been my 5th time coming. We love coming here every year.’” Nelson said. “It’s just a great experience for everyone.”
Although Kappa Delta Phi gave away books for free, participants did have to go through a series of activities in order to gain their book.
This year’s theme was “space,” so each child was given a “space exploration log” in which they would collect stamps from each activity they completed. Five stamps would earn them a free book.
Sophomore Abby Neville, who worked alongside Nelson to coordinate the event, says a lot of work goes into planning an activity like the reading fair.
“We spent a lot of time on Pinterest trying to find space-related crafts and activities,” Neville said. “And then just figuring out logistically what we needed for supplies and what we already had. And kind of what is developmentally appropriate for different ages.”
One of the most difficult challenges Neville and Nelson faced was trying to find an author to come to the event and talk with the kids.
Nelson said in the last few years, the honor society was not able to find an author to participate in the event. But Neville and Nelson were determined, and got author Raymond Macalino to attend this year.
According to Nelson, Macalino, author of children’s books such as “What if an Alligator Ate an Avalanche?” comes from a family of authors. His wife – and even his children in the 2nd and 4th grade – have had their work published.
Neville says that the eight months of heavy preparation for the event were worth it to see the reaction of all the participants.
“I think whenever you can get a kid really engaged and really excited about something,” Neville said. “There’s something that’s so magical about that.”
Rachel Rippetoe is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at rippetoe18@up.edu
