McKey hoping that newly acquired Top 10 in 2010 grant increases joy of reading

  • By Dave Mast
  • March 18, 2010
  • 501
                        
When it comes to education, few things rival the ability to read in the pecking order of importance. And when it comes to promoting reading in the schools, few have had more success at bringing in reading material and young authors through grant funding than Mt. Hope and Winesburg principal Dan McKey. McKey’s recent effort to obtain a Martha Holden Jennings grant for Top 10 in 2010 for a total of $2,950 was recognized by the East Holmes School Board on Monday, March 15, at the monthly board meeting. “It’s a little extra money to bring in another author and to do some other exciting reading activities,” McKey said at the meeting. The grant is good through the entire 2010 year, which means that the district could take advantage of it as early as this spring. However, McKey said they are setting their sights on next November, and that the author to be brought in has yet to be determined. McKey said there are two main aspects behind the Top 10 in 2010 grant. “The first is that the grant funding be used to promote books whose author published in the year 2010,” said McKey. “We’ll be looking at what the students’ favorite books are from the current year. The second aspect is how children’s books continue to impact people’s lives long after they are no longer children.” McKey said one of the interesting ways they will explore that is by asking area adults which book they recall making a difference in their life, or the way they thought about something growing up. “Books impacted almost all of us in some way growing up,” said McKey. “It will be good for the students to see how reading books made a positive impact in the lives of successful adults, and how it shaped their way of thinking.” The idea stemmed from author Anita Silvey’s book, Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book: Life Lessons from Notable People from All Walks of Life. In the book, Silvey asked more than 100 of the most respected and admired leaders in society this simple question: What children’s book changed the way you see the world? From Black Beauty, to Charlotte’s Web and plenty of Dr. Seuss books, the responses were offered in written form to provide inspiration to young readers. “There’s a lot of great lessons in life we can achieve through reading books,” said McKey. “I thought it would be neat to get ideas from local people who have fond memories of their favorite books.”


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