A twenty-minute Literacy block is embedded into each middle school day. This happens at the start of Flex period.
The key is choice. Students can engage with reading in multiple ways: they may read a book independently, read a book with a group of friends, listen to a teacher read aloud, or enjoy a Playaway audiobook.
They are never told what to read; the choice is theirs. Our reading specialist, Ms. O'Leary, works closely with the Franklin Public Library to give our students unprecedented access to high-quality, engaging books. We encourage students to try a variety of formats, authors, and genres until they find something they enjoy.
Ask your student what they're reading (or read along with them!)
Erin O’Leary works to ensure all students have what they need in order to be skilled, competent readers. In her role at HMMS, she provides small-group intervention, general education curriculum support, and organizes school-wide events. She is also one-half of the duo known as The Crazy Reading Ladies. Their passion is putting the right books in the right hands at the right time and empowering teachers to be champions of literacy. Erin is a member of the Penguin Random House Teacher Advisory Board and is a Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner. She received her M.S.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Simmons University and is enjoying her fifteenth year as the reading specialist at Horace Mann Middle School.
Email: olearye@franklinps.net