Students who walk into the media center at Flat Rock Middle School see walls emblazoned with quotes from such authors as Maya Angelou and George R.R. Martin. But whether most of the kids have actually read any of their books is another story.
Literacy is an ongoing concern for this and other schools statewide; at some, nearly half of the students have English Language Arts scores below grade-level proficiency.
But a special program at Flat Rock focuses on the joy of reading, led by two teachers who share that love and want to cultivate it in others.
The Mighty Girls reading club is open to girls in sixth through eighth grade, and currently has about a dozen members. Reading teacher Fabby Bowen and math teacher Monique Williams started the club last year after discovering their shared passion for reading.
“We wanted our students to have the same passion,” Bowen says, because “If you can’t read, you really can’t do anything effectively.”
The club meets twice a month to discuss books featuring “she-roes” from a variety of backgrounds who pursue their dreams and stand up for themselves and others. The group has already read I Am Malala, the autobiography of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and While the World Watched, about the 1963 Birmingham church bombing as told through the eyes of survivor Carolyn Maull McKinstry.
The girls are now reading Hidden Figures, the true story of three African-American women who made critical math and science contributions to the NASA space program. The book is especially fitting given that Williams spent 13 years as a computer scientist in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The diverse club members have their own favorite authors and genres, but they share a zest for learning. Chaise Lannaman likes talking to her reading friends because “you get to come together and share what you thought was amazing.” Charisma Harris is a fan of mysteries, but she and several other girls freely admit to sometimes peeking ahead to the ending and then working their way through the plot.
Reading enhances their other interests as well. Emma Mineva says stories inspire her love of drawing and have boosted her writing skills. Olivia Lohr loves fantasy books but is considering a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Brooke Loyd, also a big fan of fantasy and mythology, says she used to have low self-esteem, but after reading stories about women who stood strong, “I started feeling like I could do that.” Lydia Jenkins says the club’s books have taught her “not to give up, even if the odds are saying you can’t do this.”
Flat Rock is starting a book club for boys as well, called Guys Read.
“The major challenge we still face is independent reading,” Bowen says. “Despite the fact that the school is filled with outstanding books, the task of getting those who need the most practice to read is something I continue to work on.”
It’s a mighty goal, but one that can lead to exciting new chapters in the students’ lives.
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