Throughout the summer, Florida First Lady Ann Scott visited Florida state parks and challenged students to read as many books as possible during the summer break. Now that summer is over, the results of the First Lady’s 2012 Summer Literacy Adventure have been tallied and show that students at Wellington Elementary School pledged to read 6,248 books — more than any other school in the state.
Statewide, nearly 29,000 students pledged to read a total of 102,733 books.
“I am delighted to congratulate the students of Wellington Elementary for their incredible participation in this year’s Summer Literacy Adventure,” Scott said. “Literacy and reading are the foundation for all learning and these students are well on their way to success.”
Scott made the announcement Wednesday, Oct. 10, during a visit to the school to congratulate the students on their victory. In honor of their accomplishment, Wellington Elementary School students and staff will get a free one-day pass good at any state park in Florida from the Department of Environmental Protection.
“I want to thank Mrs. Scott for her commitment to reading and helping students boost their literacy skills,” Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart said. “The Summer Reading Adventure is an exciting way for students to discover nature and have fun reading at the same time. I also want to thank our partners who made this year’s adventure a great success.”
The 2012 Summer Literacy Adventure is a partnership between First Lady Ann Scott; the Department of Education’s Just Read, Florida! Office; the Department of Environmental Protection; Scholastic; and MetaMetrics. It is geared toward helping children stay engaged in reading and literacy during the summer break.
Children participating in the Summer Literacy Adventure were also encouraged to use a free online tool to search for books based on their reading ability and interests. A unique resource from MetaMetrics called “Find a Book, Florida” uses Lexile measures to guide readers to the most appropriate level books for them.
To learn about literacy resources available through the Department of Education, visit www.justreadflorida.com. Local public libraries are also an excellent literacy resource throughout the school year and Florida State Parks enhance learning experiences through exploration and discovery all year long.
Above: Florida First Lady Ann Scott talks to students at Wellington Elementary School on Oct. 10.
