Valley View selected for reading study program

By KENNY RUNYAN

Staff Writer

Naples Elementary School of Naples, Idaho has been selected to participate in a study by Reading is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), the results of which will be published after December 2007.

RIF, the nation's oldest and largest children's and family literacy nonprofit, is using Naples Elementary to participate in the study, called "The role of motivational activities and practices in RIF programs," organized in conjunction with the University of Maryland's College of Education.

"We are pleased to collaborate on this study with the University of Maryland," RIF's CEO and President Carol Rasco said. "The results will give us the tools to offer a more informed technical assistance on motivational activities for local RIF programs. This will enable local programs to more effectively introduce our children to the joy of reading. I am extremely proud of programs like Naples Elementary School for their commitment to the development of strong reading habits in the children they serve," Rasco added.

Beginning this fall, researchers will investigate the effectiveness of RIF distributions and activities as reading motivational tools. Naples Elementary School is one of 30 selected from approximately 4,500 RIF programs. Participating programs will implement one of two motivational models (Reading Is Rewarding vs. Reading Is Interesting) or serve as part of the control group.

This model offers motivational activities that feature both competition among students and rewards. Focus is placed on the amount of time that each child spends reading with the dual goals of motivating each child to read more and incrementally rewarding them for the time they spend reading. This model focuses on children's interest areas, both by topic and genre, offering activities that stimulate children's interests, encourage them to identify the sort of reading they like to do.

As a participant, Naples Elementary School will receive a variety of supporting resources (depending on motivation model) including videos, rewards/prizes, books, and school supplies. Naples Elementary serves approximately 130 students in grades K-5; the school has participated in the RIF program for more than 10 years.

"We give students new books three times a year and our students are always appreciative," Naples Elementary School Librarian and RIF Cooridinator Nissa Joseph said. "We are very excited about this program and the opportunities and look forward to being a part of this study as reading is so important."