As of January 2023, students at Norway Intermediate School, in the Benton Community School District, have read and accessed 15,620 ebooks since the summer! What makes that even more impressive is that Norway Intermediate has roughly 300 students! Even as this post is being written, a quick look at that school’s dashboard shows that those 300 students have 110 books currently checked out and read 55,961 words since the start of 2023!
We asked the Benton Community School District’s Teacher Librarian, Bridget Speer, about these voracious readers and their use of MackinVIA. Bridget stated that at Norway Intermediate School, in the fall, she always teaches lessons on how to use and find books in her library and in MackinVIA. She also communicates with teachers and they encourage students to find books they want to read in their classes as well. We all know that getting students excited to read is just as important as them having access to books, and it is clear that both are happening with these learners!
Bridget is the librarian for all of the schools in the Benton Community School District and has been creative in helping to promote reading and access in a variety of ways. In January, she shared a reading challenge with first-grade students and their families. Using MackinVIA outside of school is also a way for students to get access to books when the library is closed.
To learn more about MackinVIA and how to use it to deepen comprehension and provide access to literature, please register for one of Iowa AEA’s Digital Resources Learning Webinars in March! Click here to learn more and to register.