You have mail!

My colleague, Michelle at Literacy Learning Zone, and I decided to try something new this summer to encourage the students at our elementary school to keep reading.

At the end of the school year, we showed the whole school a Prezi that I made called "Where will we catch you reading?"  I borrowed the idea from Mr. Schu and Shannon Miller of Two Libraries, One Voice.  We asked students to have someone take a photo (or draw a picture) of them reading somewhere interesting this summer.  We're hoping that many students take part in this project, and we plan to post their pictures on a bulletin board in the fall.

We also sent a mailing to our resource students that included an issue of "Summer Reading News" we  authored and a self-addressed, stamped postcard.  Last year I wrote letters to students and invited them to write me back, but I didn't give them a way to do this.  This year, we made blank 4x6 cards into postcards, including our mailing address and a postcard stamp (only 29 cents!).  I figured if I gave the students postcards with a stamp all they had to do was find a mailbox!

We sent out over 60 cards, and so far, 3 students have sent a postcard back. Yippee! :)  It's FUN to get mail!  Now we have to figure out when we'll write to the students again before school starts.  The goal is to remind them to keep reading and to show that we're thinking about them over the summer.  I wonder how the students (and their parents) felt about getting this kind of mailer.  I hope we receive more postcards!