Every fall, the Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) host their annual conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. This year was even more special, as the VAASL celebrated its 50th year of promoting lifelong learning and academic success in all students.
Among all the fun had at the VAASL conference, we had the opportunity to talk with Erin Berens about her school’s experience with One School, One Book. For eight years, Erin has served as the Library Media Specialist at Providence Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Having also served as a Special Education Teacher for 18 years prior, Erin has a long history of and a passion for reading and learning. Providence Elementary has participated in four One School, One Book programs, during which they’ve read The BFG, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and will be reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library this year. We hope you’ll be as inspired by Erin’s passion as we are!
What is your experience with One School, One Book?
My experience with One School, One Book has been nothing short of phenomenal. From start to finish, the Read to Them people really help out and answer any questions that you might have about the program. The website is really easy to navigate and user-friendly, and the program itself not only do you get the books to read with your staff and students, but there are supplementary supports with: skits, and trivia questions, and reading schedules, and bookmarks, and posters, and just everything you might need to make the program really exciting and fun for your students.
Why do you believe it’s important for schools, families, and communities to read together?
I feel like it’s important for families and schools and communities to read together, because reading aloud is a bonding experience. For not only teachers and their students, but also for their families. We think of reading aloud with our children when they’re super young, and sometimes when they get older, that kind of goes away. With using One School, One Book in your school community, it allows parents to sit down with their older children and read with them and then it leads to conversations that maybe they wouldn’t have had. Time away from devices, and the television, and things like that to just talk about books, and maybe start a tradition with the family to read together. In the classroom, it gives kids time to just sit and read and listen to reading, and that’s things we don’t really get to do very often because life is so fast-paced. It really just slows down, and brings everyone together to have a common thing to talk about.
What is something you wish more people knew about reading aloud to children reading aloud together?
I wish more people realized reading aloud is not just for very young children, it’s for everyone. Even adults can benefit from reading aloud. When you read aloud with children, you’re helping them become better readers. Some of your children might struggle, and can’t access a chapter book on their own, but by reading aloud, or taking turns partner-reading with your child, it helps them feel more confident in their reading skills and also hearing how to read aloud with expression and fluency, it really is beneficial to them educationally.
What was your experience with Read to Them’s One School, One Book and why would you recommend it to other schools?
My experience and why I’d recommend it is because I just love the unity that the program has brought to my school. Everybody talks about the book. Adults who don’t read tell me that they love the book, and that they’d read it, and they hadn’t read a book in their life. Children who never come into my library to check out a book look forward to reading the One School, One Book option that we have for the year. It’s just really an immersive and fun experience that allows children to have this bonding experience and talk about something they’re all reading, and that everyone can access.
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We cannot thank Erin enough for her time, and for her passion for One School, One Book. Have any questions about launching a One School, One Book program in your school community? Ask us in the comments below. Happy reading!
