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Hickam students celebrate reading during Read Across America

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  Hickam Elementary School is hosting its annual Read Across America event March 6-13.

The week-long event, which celebrates the life and contributions of Dr. Seuss, also serves as a motivational program to encourage children and teens to read.

Throughout the week, Airmen and other volunteers from the local community will serve as guest readers and spend time reading to the students in grades pre-kindergarten through sixth.

Reva Dacanay, Hickam Elementary School librarian, said the event has been reoccurring at the school for nearly 20 years and also serves as a show of support for the children from the community.

"To me reading should be about fun and enjoyment, and it's really important that we continue to motivate children to want to read," said Kathryn Matayoshi, Hawaii superintendent of education. 

Matayoshi said she volunteered to be a guest reader for the event because she wants to be a part of anything that helps make reading fun for children.

Though the week is intended to show children how much fun they can have when they open a book, Dacanay said it's also about preparing the students to read with purpose.

"It's not just about children learning to read, but teaching them to read to learn and enjoy it," she said.

Dacanay said with the growing emphasis on education it's more important than ever that students be proficient in reading.

"This age is where it starts. Elementary school reading should be more fun because by the time they make it to secondary school they will be reading things with more content and it may be harder to enjoy if they don't already like reading," she said.

According to Dacanay it's critical that students learn to comprehend and understand what they are reading in elementary school so they are ready to move on to applying what they have read in middle and high school.

Dacanay said the community event is a highlight of the year for many of the students.
"The students really enjoy this," she said. "When I introduce the event you can see the excitement in their eyes."

For their part, Dacanay said Hickam families have done a good job helping to promote education and learning before students arrive at school.

"The families here are really attentive and supportive," she said. "Most of the kids come here with the philosophy that education is important and they have a very positive idea about education and reading."