PHOTOS: Kindergartners Learn New Reading ‘Superpowers’ With Help From a Superhero

As St. Margaret’s kindergarten students develop strategies—or, as they’re called in class, “superpowers”—to learn how to read, they received a surprise package from a book-loving superhero who wanted to help.  

 

“Super Reader,” who claims Spider Man and Wonder Woman as two close friends, delivered a letter and a package to the Lower School office this week. Lower School Principal Jennifer Blount and Assistant Principal Maile Bellosi visited each kindergarten classroom this week to share Super Reader’s message to the kindergartners. The principals read the letter aloud to each classroom, all of which were full of very excited students. 

 

“I have a mega-Important tip for you,” the letter read. “Sometimes there are lots of words or longer words and you MUST check that you are reading these words correctly. I have left you special POWER POINTERS to give you even stronger POINTER POWER. When you read, make sure you point one time under each word to make your reading match the words on the page. Enjoy reading today and every day!”

 

As the kindergartners edged closer in anticipation and excitement, Mrs. Bellosi opened the package. Inside were plastic pointers for each student that will assist them as they read words in the leveled books from their reading bags. 

 

“Readers can put their finger (or pointer) under one word, then the next, and the next, and read what the words say,” kindergarten teacher Jessica Banks said. “Readers learn that when you read, every word you say must match a word you point to on the page.”

 

Many of the students went right to work testing them out, reading both independently and in partnered reading time during the lesson with their new pointers. 

 

The pointer power is one of several “super powers” the kindergartners are learning in this Readers Workshop unit. The other powers—rereading, partnering, pictures, snap words, sounds and persistence—will help them develop reading strategies that will make them stronger and more confident life-long readers. 

 

Lower School reading instruction follows Columbia University’s Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project. Readers’ Workshop is a research-based, student-centered approach to teach reading, which in kindergarten features mini-lessons and practice during independent and partnered reading blocks.