Reading

Dialed up to 100

February 12, 2025

Prompted by “Zero Hero” to county to 100, starting by whispering and raising every 20 numbers to as loud as possible for 80-100, Cassville Primary School students, Rowan Stanton, left, Layten Craig, middle, and Layne Greek belt out the final figure. The activities were part of the celebration of the 100th day of school on Thursday.

Pages flip during World Read Aloud Day

February 12, 2025

A total of 22 school employees and community members helped Cassville Primary School celebrate the 15th World Read Aloud Day on Feb. 5. Rhonda Stafford, with Wintech, is pictured reading a book to second-grade teacher Josi Rose’s class.

Michelle Hilburn: Best books guide for children, teens

February 4, 2025

Building strong reading skills and cultivating a love for books is key in nurturing a lifelong passion for reading. I believe that there is a perfect book for every reader, and if someone doesn’t enjoy reading, they simply haven’t discovered the right book yet.

Michelle Hilburn: What makes a library meaningful?

November 5, 2024

In Starfish by Lisa Fipps, one of my favorite young adult novels, Ellie, the main character, captures how meaningful a librarian’s presence can be: “[The librarian is] the first person to smile at me today./ The first to make me feel wanted./ Understood./I blink back tears./ It’s unknown how many students’ lives/librarians have saved/by welcoming loners at lunch.”

Michelle Hilburn: Beyond the classroom

September 24, 2024

As educators, we don’t measure success by the money we make or even by the degrees we collect, though many of us achieve a lot academically. For me, after 19 years of teaching and several college degrees, what fills me with the most pride is the impact I’ve had on my students.

Michelle Hilburn: Librarians are on the front lines of literacy

August 13, 2024

The school year is quickly approaching, which means children are enjoying their last days of summertime and parents are preparing to send them back to school. As a school librarian, this is a very busy time of year, and I have already returned to work.

Michelle Hilburn: Realizing the importance of science of reading strategies

July 2, 2024

As I enter my 19th year in education, I have experienced a number of shifts in the profession which include new strategies, new requirements, and new evidence to study. The most recent literacy education approach adapts learning strategies to align to the science of reading.