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GARDINER –Have you ever been caught reading on a school bus? Students within SAD 11 (and a couple of bus drivers, too!) have been caught reading as they enjoy the opportunity to read books on the bus to and from school.
The School Bus Book Bag project is the brilliant and creative idea of Don Sanders, a school bus driver for SAD 75 in Topsham. He shared books with the very youngest students on his bus from his own home library in an effort to help them learn to sit in their seats quietly as they traveled to and from school each day.
He noticed that disruptive behaviors on the bus decreased, as well as an eagerness by the older students to read to the younger students. The project also helped further literacy throughout the community.
The idea has come home to the SAD 11 through a collaborative effort of the Gardiner Public Library, the SAD 11 Transportation Department and the nonprofit Maine Educational Connections for Children and Adults. The project has already grown from six buses carrying the book bags to almost a dozen buses sharing books from the local library!
The book bags are alternated between the buses on a regular basis to keep the topics interesting and engaging for the students.
Reading on the bus has fostered more love for reading, built a stronger foundation for literacy, promoted more positive family enrichment, connected children and families to the opportunity for their own library cards and has promoted further bus safety and a mentoring between older and younger students on the bus.
One bus driver, Frederica, said, “My kids love the books and are doing well!” Overall, the further growth of our healthy communities and the success of our children’s education has come from further reading opportunities.
Perhaps it’s time for students from around the rest of Maine to “get caught reading!”
Photo caption: SAD 11 School Board President Becky Fles took the time to “get caught reading.” SAD 11 school bus book bags loaded with books for the Gardiner Public Library. Gardiner Public Library Children’s Librarian Ginni Nichols took the time to “get caught reading.”
