A week or two after returning from Christmas Break, the 3rd Grade class was assigned a book report. The students were to read a book, write a short summary of the book, and then chose from one of four projects to complete. As a teacher with a background in children’s literacy, I know how important it is for students to read every day. I incorporate 20 minutes of silent reading called DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read) into our day, but wanted to allow the students to read through and discover a book at home that was a bit more challenging than some of the books they choose at school.
Examples of some of the books that were read for the book report were: Stuart Little, The Penderwicks, The Island of the Blue Dolphin, Because of Winn-Dixie, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Some of the authors included Roald Dahl, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Beverly Cleary. Every student came up in front of the class to present their project and many students were inspired to read the books presented based on the recommendations of their peers.
Here at St. Benedict Classical Academy, we value good classical literature and know that exposing it to our students at a young age will allow them to grow up not only appreciating but enjoying books that have stood the test of time. Classical literature also exposes our students to the transcendentals of truth, beauty, and goodness, which we strive to achieve daily here at SBCA in everything we do and teach.
Author: Finlay Cushen, 3rd Grade Teacher