Schools say dads are vital in '100 Book Challenge'

Destry Brooks beamed while his father, also named Destry, served sweet potato pie, barbecued chicken and Hawaiian meatballs recently at an Ohio elementary school's annual kickoff for the "100 Book Challenge" reading program.

His dad, a PTA member, long has been involved in his education and that suits his son just fine.

"It's good. Actually it's not good, it's awesome," said Destry, 10.

Brooks helped recruit other fathers for the reading kickoff when he participated in the second annual Fathers Walk earlier this month. Some 2,500 fathers took their children to school in Summit County, Ohio, that day.

School officials say fathers are especially important for the 100 Book Challenge, which depends on parental involvement to encourage a love of reading.

"We definitely try to welcome every father that walks in the door because the male figure is very important for our students," said Carrie Preston, who teaches kindergarten and coordinates the program at Crouse Elementary School.

"A lot of (students) don't have one, or have one sometimes. So it's really good to see the male figures walk in here. We're really glad to see them."

The 100 Book Challenge features a series of age-appropriate books written for different skill levels that give children an opportunity to practice reading at home with books that are fun, fast and easy to read.

The books come with skill cards for the parents to use with their child to measure the level of comprehension of the book.

"You're also just reinforcing that whole love for reading and that reading is the core of everything we do," Assistant Superintendent Ellen McWilliams said.

Akron has used the reading program, a system developed by teachers, curriculum specialists and literacy activists at the American Reading Co. in Pennsylvania, for about a dozen years.

"At the elementary level, it's just built into our core instruction," McWilliams said. "In the middle- and high-school level, it changes to strictly targeted intervention for struggling readers."

McWilliams presented a report to the local school board members recently.

At Roswell Kent Middle School, for example, 71 percent of sixth-graders who were not proficient on the Ohio Achievement Test for reading became proficient after participating in the 100 Book Challenge with tutors in small reading groups.