Making a pitch to get children to read

Program rewards elementary pupils with baseball tickets

Alex Twery said he reads nearly every day after school.

He said he can get through about 50 pages a day - especially if it is a book with lots of action.

"It's fun," he said. "You can just think about stuff, and it passes the time."

Alex, 8, a third-grader at Sandymount Elementary School, thinks he will have no problem reading four books over the next two months as part of a reading incentive program. His reward will be a free ticket to a Frederick Keys baseball game, if he reaches his goal.

Pupils in all 22 elementary schools in Carroll County are participating in the Keys for Reading program, which encourages them to read a set number of books in order to receive a ticket to a game in May.

The program kicked off at Sandymount in Finksburg last week with a visit from the team's mascot, Keyote.

Sandymount pupils didn't need much encouragement to get excited about the program. They eagerly raised their hands when asked about whether they like to read for fun, and they cheered as Keyote entered, swinging a baseball bat.

It is important for children to read for enjoyment and to discover information, said Robin Stansbury, a health teacher who coordinates the Sandymount program.

"We have a lot of kids that are really into it," Stansbury said. "They get their bookmarks that they have to fill out turned back in quickly."

Pupils participating in the program have until the end of March to read at least four books that match their grade and skill level. Then they turn in a bright orange bookmark with the name of the books they read, initialed by their parents.

All Carroll pupils who receive the free baseball tickets are scheduled to attend the game at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick on Saturday, May 6. Each school will make a banner for a competition and walk on the field before the game.

Rachel Hammond, 10, a Sandymount fifth-grader, said she is working on reading the sixth book in the Harry Potter series. She said it would be very easy to finish the required number of books.

Reading incentive programs are not new for Carroll pupils, who have participated in Keys for Reading and other programs in the past.

At Sandymount, the program is the third one this year.

Pupils are also participating in Pizza Hut's Book-It program for free pizzas and a PTA-sponsored challenge that offers prizes at the school's coming book fair.

Andy Yount, Sandymount's guidance counselor, said the books pupils read could count for all three programs.

"That's what is nice about the different programs, because it keeps the challenge going for the kids," Yount said.

Some children would read regardless of the incentives, but the programs appeal to those who need the extra push to finish a book, said Joann O'Connor, a parent and PTA member who helps coordinate the schoolwide challenge.

My sons "like to read a lot of fast books, which they pick up and read for 15 minutes. So, it makes them set a goal," she said.

According to tallies kept for the schoolwide challenge since November, two of the four "tribes" that pupils were divided into have read nearly 500 books.

"It's amazing how much kids will read when they are excited about it," O'Connor said.

Amanda Sowinski, 9, a fourth-grader, said she usually reads at least a book a day.

"I really like reading because it shows you a lot of words that you can use in your writing," she said.

Nicolas Boyle, 7, a first-grader, said he likes reading funny books.

"I'm going to try and read four books so I can go to the baseball game," he said.

The Keys for Reading program began 10 years ago as a way to encourage kids to get excited about reading.

This year, the program will reach more than 100,000 pupils in 192 schools, said Ryan Sakamoto, spokesman for the Keys.

"I think kids need all of the positive encouragement they can get to sit down and read," Sakamoto said. "If we can go to these schools and get kids excited about reading, then we've done our job."

Keyote will make nearly 100 appearances at schools to emphasize the importance of reading and education in the kids' lives, Sakamoto said.

Carroll is one of 10 counties in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia participating in the program.