Arlington Elementary’s Little Dolphins had a fun surprise last week, and the excitement continues for the next five weeks!
NOW is the time to join the fun: sign up to volunteer at the upcoming Book Fairs!
The Arlington Elementary Book Fair – the first one of the 2025 Book Fair season – was a very special day for the students. Jacksonville Jaguars staff members volunteered for the day in honor of Defensive Lineman Arik Armstead, Jacksonville’s very own Walter Payton Man of the Year! The NFL honored Arik with the award for his extensive community involvement in both California and Jacksonville through the Armstead Academic Project, the nonprofit organization he founded in California and brought to Jacksonville last year with his wife, Mindy. READ USA has been proud to partner with the Armstead Academic Project for several events at elementary schools during the past year.
Jaguars staff members went a huge step further: they read aloud in classrooms when the Fair was finished! Every kindergarten through 2nd-grade classroom received a visit, and it was yet another highlight of the school day for the students.
To host the fabulous volunteers from the Jacksonville Jaguars was also a real treat for Team READ USA! We are so grateful that so many staff members joined us – each of them truly made the Book Fair a memorable experience for the students and kept everything running so smoothly!
THANK YOU, Jacksonville Jaguars, for your ongoing support of READ USA!
The surprises didn’t end there: Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers Bookmobile also took center stage! Every Little Dolphin – as they are affectionately called by Principal Paula Findlay – had the opportunity to choose two free books during the Book Fair, which took place on the Bookmobile. While this was a one-time visit for the Bookmobile to a READ USA Book Fair this season, it certainly amped up the excitement for the students – most of whom had not had the chance to see it yet! Thank you to Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers for helping Team READ USA kick off our 2025 Book Fair season!
Our special gratitude also goes to Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier for taking the time to visit with the students, which was an additional special treat for them to show off their new books! Thank you also to Principal Paula Findlay for the warm welcome she always gives to Team READ USA and our volunteers!
Join the fun at the next READ USA Book Fair and sign up to volunteer today!
Get to Know: Gayle Adams, Book Fair Lead Volunteer
During Book Fair season this spring, we will be spotlighting a fabulous group of individuals who are giving so generously of their time to ensure the READ USA Book Fairs run smoothly: our Book Fair Lead Volunteers!
Our Lead Volunteers serve as an on-site volunteer supervisor for each Book Fair, providing support and guidance to both volunteers and school staff throughout the day.
First up is the wonderful Gayle Adams! Gayle is no stranger to READ USA, having started working with us about three years ago doing tutor and student assessments for our Literacy Tutoring program following her retirement from Duval County Public Schools (DCPS). She then joined us as a teacher in the program and has been working with our teen tutors and students ever since!
Gayle was a DCPS teacher for 38 years, teaching every grade from PreK through 4th-grade. She is also Exceptional Student Education (ESE) certified.
Gayle shared with us why she continues to work with READ USA and why volunteering at the Book Fairs brings special meaning to her:
“It wasn’t until I got involved with READ USA that I realized I was an under-resourced student. I came from a single-parent household, and we didn’t really have books, but it never occurred to me that I was under-resourced! It hit me one day when I was volunteering at a Book Fair and saw the big smiles on the kids’ faces – I was just like some of them! We didn’t have book fairs growing up, especially free ones.”
She also shared, “Being with READ USA has become a passion of mine, whether I’m working or volunteering. I love getting books into kids’ hands – the smiles are worth every minute that I give back. All those years I spent teaching, I realized not long ago why I loved the ESE part the most. Those students really needed support. And now that I’ve been with READ USA Literacy Tutoring, working with the students and tutors has given me so many wonderful flashbacks. I absolutely love working with the tutors – that’s another part of READ USA that has brought out a lot within me. I love the mission, and I’m in it for the long haul!”
Thank you, Gayle, for your service to the students and teens we serve! You help make our mission possible!
Team #DUUUVAL Visits Northwestern Legends Elementary School
DCPS students had two opportunities to interact with the Jacksonville Jaguars last week: in addition to staff members volunteering at the READ USA Book Fair at Arlington Elementary, the Jaguars also hosted a Literacy Locker Room at Northwestern Legends Elementary School!
Sponsored by the Florida Lottery, the Literacy Locker Room event provided each student at Northwestern Legends with a free book to keep. And just as importantly: they had the opportunity to meet Tight End Shawn Bowman #49 for read alouds, demonstrating how books and reading are important for everyone – including sports stars! They were also treated to a fun pep rally featuring Jaxson de Ville and ROAR of the Jaguars members Mia and Caroline.
Our immense gratitude to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation for creating the Literacy Locker Room events several years ago and their ongoing partnership. A special thank-you goes to Adriel Rocha, Vice President of Community Impact and Football Development, and Michael Carnahan, Jaguars Foundation Community Impact Senior Manager, for making the Literacy Locker Rooms possible! Thank you also to the Florida Lottery for sponsoring the event and ensuring that every child received a book of their own choosing.
We have one more Literacy Locker Room coming up this school year and we look forward to sharing more about that soon!
P.S. – We also want to extend a special congratulations to Michael Carnahan, who was recently promoted! Michael is a true asset to the Jaguars organization and our community. Congratulations, Michael!
Team READ USA Attends Americans for Prosperity Event
Americans for Prosperity hosted U.S. Representative John Rutherford, whom Team READ USA has met with before on several occasions in Washington, D.C., and other panelists during an event on March 17 – and we were honored to have the opportunity to attend!
“Our gratitude goes to Natalie Dreyer, a friend of READ USA, for inviting us to attend and meet with Rep. Rutherford, his fellow panelists, and other attendees,” shared our President & CEO Dr. Rob Kelly. Natalie Dreyer is the North Florida Grassroots Engagement Director for Americans for Prosperity. “Rep. Rutherford and his team are supporters of READ USA’s mission and work in preparing teens to enter the workforce through our Literacy Tutoring model, and we are grateful for their ongoing engagement in our programming and outcomes! It was fantastic to see him and his team in Jacksonville.”
Congratulations to Americans for Prosperity for hosting a fantastic event!
Children’s Book: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Where the Sidewalk Ends is a beloved collection of children’s poetry written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. Published in 1974, it has remained a favorite among generations of readers with its humorous rhymes, imaginative storytelling, and clever wordplay.
Overview
The book is a mix of short poems, some silly, some profound, and all brimming with creativity. Silverstein’s signature black-and-white line drawings accompany each poem, adding charm and humor. The poems cover a wide range of topics: dreams, childhood adventures, nonsense creatures, and even deeper themes like kindness and self-worth.
Highlights of the Book
- Imaginative and Playful - Silverstein creates a world where anything is possible. Whether it’s a girl who refuses to take the garbage out (Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout) or a crocodile who goes to the dentist, his stories prompt curiosity and laughter.
- Memorable Rhymes – The rhythmic and rhyming nature of the poems makes them fun to read aloud, and many stick with readers long after the book is closed.
- Meaningful Messages – Beneath the humor, many poems carry thoughtful lessons about kindness, individuality, and growing up.
- Engaging Illustrations – Silverstein’s simple yet expressive drawings flawlessly complement the unpredictable nature of his writing.
This book is perfect for children, parents, teachers, and anyone who enjoys playful, witty poetry. Even adults will find themselves smiling at the cleverness and timeless impact of Shel Silverstein’s words.
More than just a collection of poems, Where the Sidewalk Ends is an invitation into a world of boundless creativity. Silverstein masterfully blends humor with wisdom, making this a classic that continues to inspire readers of all ages. Whether the reader is experiencing it for the first time or revisiting it years later, this book is a delight from beginning to end.
Submitted by Judy Howard, READ USA Michael Ward & Jennifer Glock Literacy Institute Senior Director
Parent Education Corner: Reading Prose and Poetry
April is celebrated as National Poetry Month. Accordingly, poetry will be highlighted to enhance reading at home. Below are the K-5 Poetry and Prose expectations for Florida students.
Kindergarten: Reading Prose and Poetry for early readers builds on phonemic awareness (recognition of sounds) and is a critical part of the foundation for reading. The kindergarten expectation asks them to identify and produce their own rhyming words. During read-alouds or shared reading opportunities, kindergartners are expected to identify rhyming words in a poem.
1st Grade: First-grade students are expected to listen to and read story poems. They will learn the meaning of stanzas and line breaks in poems. Line breaks are shorter lines written to slow the reader down. A stanza is a group of lines in a poem. It is often called a “verse.”
2nd Grade: Children in the second grade will identify rhyme schemes in poems. See examples below:
3rd Grade: Third graders will learn to identify types of poems: free verse, rhymed verse, haiku, and limerick. Examples include:
4th Grade: Readers will explain how rhyme and structure create meaning in a poem.
5th Grade: Fifth-grade students will explain how figurative language and other poetic elements work together in a poem.
Figurative language: personification, metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, imagery, and idiom.
Here are some activities to enjoy poetry at home!
K-2
- Rhyming games: This could be a simple game where the parent starts with a word and the child comes up with a word that rhymes.
2. Select a poem or rhyming text to read aloud to your child or through a shared reading connection between you and your child.
3. Create simple lists of rhyming words that can be turned into a “Family Book of Poetry.”
Grades 3-5
- Sing or rap a poem. Some poetry has its own rhythm. Encourage your child to write the words and create a tune to go along with the words. Ask, how will your song sound? What type of beat will it have? Fast, soft, loud.
- Compare and contrast poems. Choose two or more poems and compare them side-by-side. Choose poems that have obvious things in common (same author, topic, style, etc.) Then find all the similarities and differences you can.
- Poetry Picnic: Take your poetry time outdoors or to a special spot indoors and make it a poetry picnic. Enjoy reading poetry in a relaxed space.
Submitted by Judy Howard, READ USA Michael Ward & Jennifer Glock Literacy Institute Senior Director
Do you have any questions or ideas for the Parent Education Corner? Anything you’d like to learn? Let us know here!