MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Matthew C. Perry Elementary School hosted its annual Family Literature Night aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Feb. 12, 2015.
According to Dr. Suzanne Landrum, the principal of M.C. Perry Elementary, literature night is a way to bring families together by sparking an interest in reading by utilizing interactive stations.
As part of the event, attendees traveled from classroom to classroom interacting with teachers and taking part in a variety of games that tested grammar, spelling and other reading skills.
As each game concluded, the winning student would receive a prize before continuing to the next game.
One of the interactive stations used was a book reading in which Birgitta Snyder, a fitness trainer with the IronWorks Gym and Barbara Roman, a fitness Coordinator with IronWorks Gym, read “Cupig’s Scuffle” to a group of students, following it with a short dance session.
“Family Literature Night is meant to make reading fun,” said Landrum. “We invite everybody here and we try to make sure they have a blast. When students have fun reading it no longer becomes a tedious task especially when the whole family starts having fun.”
As part of the event Landrum introduced a new program for the school called One School, One Book.
“The premise behind One School, One Book is to continue to bring families beyond Family Literature Night,” said Teena Livengood, the literacy support specialist for M.C. Perry Elementary. “We give the students a book and have the whole family read it together.”
Livengood added that it is not homework for any of the students but a way to spread the love for reading.
Along with the new program, attendees of the event received two free books courtesy of the school in the hopes that they will continue to read future.
According to Livengood, reading is the gateway to greater learning, that’s the reason literature night is so important to the school.