A day of reading for Wantagh students

Wantagh students listened to a variety of fiction and nonfiction literary works read by faculty and administrators during the annual World Read Aloud Day event held on Jan. 3. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most reading took place virtually through Google Meets, although there were a number of administrators who read to students in person.

World Read Aloud Day encourages people throughout the world to read aloud together and share stories to advocate for literature and the written word. According to Director of Humanities and Literacy K-5 Ryan Aliperti, the vision for this program was for every Wantagh student in grades K-12 to participate as a listener in the read-aloud experience.

“Participating in read-alouds not only fosters a love of written language when sharing in the experience of a common story,“ Ms. Aliperti said, “but doing so also enables people to indulge in listening to the written word being spoken.”

Through use of the district’s technology, many secondary classes read to elementary students, and Wantagh Public librarians Erin Goldberg and Carly Hablenko were even able to participate in the activities.

Wantagh Secondary Director of English Language Arts and Reading and Libraries Julie Rosslee said, “Participation in World Read Aloud Day was an opportunity for all students, no matter grade level, to hear the written word spoken so they, too, can cherish all types of literature.”

—Brian Stieglitz