Byron Middle School focuses on increasing students’ literacy

Byron Middle School designates one day out of a week to help students expand their reading and comprehension skills.

BYRON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Peach County middle school is paving the way for students as they expand their vocabulary. Teachers believe all subjects require effective reading skills.

“We feel that it’ll help the students in every aspect of their life,” says gifted Social Studies teacher, Carissa Hatton.

Byron Middle School has dedicated Fridays as “Drop Everything and Read Day.” During the week, students are focused on other subject areas, but for 30 minutes, students are learning to expand their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

“As they go from 6th grade to 7th grade to 8th grade, even up to high school, their vocabulary is going to come more difficult. The more they read, the better chances they have being successful in social studies, science, any of the subjects, Hatton continues.

Students say they are aware of the benefits of reading.

“In college, I want to play softball and in order to go, I have to build my reading skills up, says eighth grader, Lindsey Arrington.

“When you read, you know more about punctuation, how to talk in terms,and write papers for college and stuff so you can get enrolled for then. And then, if you want to be a journalist, you can relate to those books to know how to do journalism stuff,” adds eigth grader John Garnton.

Sixth grade math teacher, Stuart Ayers, says reading skills are needed for all subjects including math.

“The part of solving math problems is being able to read and understand word problems,” Ayers says.

“You got to be able to read first off to understand the problem and then you have to take those words and translate those words into math sentences. So, the reading impacts so much,” Ayers continues.

Reading has become a weekly ritual for students here at Byron Middle School. Students are now motivated to take those books outside of the classroom into their homes.

“Once you start reading the book during 30 minutes, and then you go home and read it,and you get really into it and then you see if it’s got a series with it, and then if it does then you look for a movie about it, about the series of the books, and then you watch that movie and you get more into those books,” eighth grader John Garnton continues

“The teachers try every way that we can to get this kids successful and we are pleasantly pleased with them,” says Carissa Hatton, gifted Social Studies teacher.

The students hope this initiative will continue to increase their literacy throughout their lives.

This is the school’s first year doing “Drop Everything and Read Day.”