Liberty students share love of reading during Literacy Alive Day at local elementary school

The Liberty University School of Education, through its Pi Sigma chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, partnered with Boonsboro Elementary School on Monday to host Literacy Alive Day, an annual reading initiative.

The Liberty students worked with fourth graders, encouraging reading through games and crafts with a carnival theme.

“It gives them a fun outlook on reading and literacy,” said Pi Sigma chapter President Emily Fadale. “Often, kids get so bummed out with, ‘Oh, I have to do another (homework assignment).’ But coming in and doing fun games where they didn’t even realize they were doing literacy was super great for them.”

The Liberty students were in charge of planning and running the event. They played games designed to improve the children’s reading comprehension and grammar that meet the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL).

“(Liberty students) have a way of engaging my elementary students so that they enjoy learning. It always makes for a fun day,” Boonsboro elementary teacher April Sargeant said.

While the focus this year was on fourth graders, the honor society alternates grades each year.

The chapter also collects books throughout the academic year to distribute at the event. This year, they handed out over 150 books.

“Donating the books is really helpful because a lot of these kids come from different levels of socio-economic status,” Fadale said. “This way, we can give them a book that’s fully theirs, they don’t have to return it like a library book, but they can have access to it when they go home.”

Fadale also noted that because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruptions it caused to classroom learning, many public school students have fallen behind, making special events like this even more important.

In addition to the benefits for elementary students, the event also holds enormous advantages for the Liberty students. By planning every aspect, such as the theme, decorations, games, and crafts, KDP members gain firsthand experience that will help propel them into their careers once they leave Liberty.

“It’s cool to get experience in maybe a different school than what our practicum placement would be and also more of a hands-on experience because practicums are more observing,” said KDP historian Allison Fueger, noting that all education students are required to spend 30 practicum hours serving in a local school, prior to fulfilling student teaching requirements. “Literacy Alive Day gives us an opportunity to be more hands-on with the student and actually experience what a full day of teaching looks like.”

In addition to Literacy Alive Day, KDP also serves the local community with fundraisers. Last semester, the honor society held a virtual 5K race to raise money for the Jubilee Family Development Center, a local nonprofit that aims to help the academic and social skills of at-risk youth. The society has also previously raised money for Miriam’s House, which provides housing for impoverished individuals and families.

Last semester, the Liberty chapter partnered with Brigham Young University as well as United Way of Central Virginia to collect 1,500 new and gently used books during the Liberty-BYU football game on Oct. 22.

The Pi Sigma chapter at Liberty University was founded in 1984 and aims to provide educational growth for its members.

For more information about Liberty’s KDP chapter, contact Dr. Pam Griffin at pcgriffin@liberty.edu or visit the School of Education website.