Kathleen Woodring, a member of the Friends and Volunteers group at the Ocean City Free Public Library, reads to students at Ocean City Primary School, where she used to teach. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City school district)
Ocean City Primary School celebrated Read Across America Week on March 2, welcoming community leaders and Ocean City Free Public Library volunteers to read to students.
Guest readers also visited Ocean City Intermediate School, where themed spirit days added to the fun all week.
The annual event to promote a love of reading has taken on added importance in an increasingly digital world, some Ocean City educators say.
Throughout the week, students participated in engaging read-alouds designed to spark enthusiasm about books and storytelling.
“Our goal for Read Across America Week is to create excitement around reading and help our youngest learners see books as joyful and meaningful,” Mary Beth Libro, supervisor of instruction for the Ocean City School District, said in a news release. “We hope every child leaves the week motivated to pick up a book at school and at home.”
Kathleen Woodring, a member of the Friends and Volunteers of the Ocean City Free Public Library and a former OCPS teacher, said the library group feels strongly about supporting Read Across America.
“It is our mission to promote the joy of reading and literacy in our community,” said Woodring, who was joined by more than a dozen fellow volunteers at OCPS.
“Participating in Read Across America is one of the many ways we help encourage a love of reading,” she added.
Woodring, who taught at OCPS for 25 years, said returning to read with the students is especially meaningful.
“Walking into a classroom and sitting down to read with students brings me so much joy,” she said. “I was so impressed by their listening manners and the thoughtful observations they shared about the story.”
While celebrations like Read Across America spark excitement around books, educators say they also highlight the importance of developing strong reading habits at an early age.
OCPS reading specialists Kristen Crowne, Jennifer Gatto and Jaime Nicholl say building foundational skills remains the focus for pre-K through grade 3 students, who are not yet immersed in digital media. The reading team helps students to recognize letters and sounds, grow their vocabulary and draw meaning from text.
They believe students benefit from turning the pages in physical books and having conversations about the story. OCPS teachers consider students’ individual interests and incorporate popular book series and characters to spark interest and engagement.
Parents also can play a significant role in developing children’s reading habits by setting aside time to read together and showing their own enthusiasm for reading, the specialists say.
As students grow, literacy instruction continues to evolve to meet the challenges of a digital environment. At Ocean City Intermediate School, reading specialist Megan Duffey acknowledged that today’s students are constantly exposed to digital and interactive content.
“With everything being fast-paced and digital, students’ attention spans have changed,” Duffey said. “That makes it even more important to build reading stamina and teach students how to slow down and read deeply.”
Duffey emphasized that technology itself is not a problem, but must be used strategically.
“Technology is not the enemy,” she said. “The key is using it with intention while still protecting time for uninterrupted, sustained reading.”
