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Educators throughout Utah this week are learning about a new program in their schools to boost reading. It was so successful last year during the pilot program, now more than 220 elementary schools are on board.
Principals and teachers from across the Wasatch Front are learning about the Ken Garff Road to Success program.
Donated bikes for every school provide the incentive for reading, and teachers in last year's pilot schools provide glowing reports.
"I think our scores show a difference, and the enthusiasm for reading is there," said Janene Salt, who teaches at Roy Elementary School.
Ginger Brown, who teaches at North Ogden Elementary School, said, "It made a difference in what they wanted to do. At the end of the year, I said, ‘What are you going to do this summer?' And they said, ‘We're going to read this summer.'"
Sponsors of the program want to help teachers boost performance in this fundamental subject. Some shared their personal experiences that led to a passion for reading.
"From those experiences, my mom taking me to the library, my life changed," Robert Garff, with Read to Success, said.
The program centers on schools setting reading goals that will extend beyond the class. "We feel this would be an excellent way to reinforce that reading and get parents involved in doing that reading at home every night," said Julie Larsen, teacher at Oak Hills Elementary School.
KSL and many other partners are also sponsors of the program. To learn more about it, click the related link to the right of the story.
E-mail: dwimmer@ksl.com
