Black Stallion Literacy Project at Riverside Elementary
From the April 10 edition of the Rochester Post Bulletin...
Brushing her hand along
the horse's soft, silky coat, 7-year-old Ella Brazell couldn't
help be drawn to the prominence of the animal's eyes. They
were so big.
"I have seen a horse before, but I haven't petted it," the
first-grader at Riverside Central Elementary School said.Children have always loved horse and horse stories. And for
many of the 90 children who waited their turn to reach through
the fence to pet "Little Black" at the school, it was their
first contact with a horse.
It was also the first step in an educational journey called
the "Black Stallion Literacy Project." The aim: To harness a
child's natural enthusiasm and fascination with horses into a
passion for reading.
After petting the horse, each student was handed a hardcover
copy of "Little Black, A Pony," by Walter Farley, author of
the best-selling The Black Stallion books, for them to keep.
"My sister rode a horse once, and she has a picture of it. But
I never did yet," said 6-year-old Liiban Said, holding the
book for the first time.
'Riverside Central
Elementary School first-grader Ella Brazell climbs up to pet a
black mare with the help of Maria Schmidt
at the school Friday
morning.
Later, after reading the book, the first-graders will be bused
to Ironwood Springs ranch in May for their "second touch" in
the program. There, surrounded by hay bales, they will read
their favorite passage to a horse and learn more about horses
— what they eat, their grooming and the kind of tack they use.
They then will be handed their second free book, "Little Black
Goes to the Circus."
The program has been implemented in 11 other states, and
Friday's introduction makes Riverside Central the first school
in Minnesota to adopt the program here, said Carol Fosdick, a
director with the Rochester Regional Equestrian Center, which
is funding the project.
"The horse is the carrot to inspiration," Fosdick said. "I
don't know any kids that don't like horses."
Fosdick said efforts at promoting reading are particularly
important, given numerous distractions kids have to contend
with in the iPod and GameBoy era. She cited a recent national
survey that said only 30 percent of all children in the United
States are reading at a proficient level.
Teachers at Riverside said first grade is a critical year for
children, because solid reading skills establish the
foundation for success in later grades.
Riverside teachers have been building a curriculum around the
books and Friday's first touch experience. Leah Schiller, a
first-grade teacher, said her students prepared for Friday's
experience by writing in their journals and discussing about
it in class.
"They're very excited," she said
Brushing her hand along
the horse's soft, silky coat, 7-year-old Ella Brazell couldn't
help be drawn to the prominence of the animal's eyes. They
were so big.
"I have seen a horse before, but I haven't petted it," the
first-grader at Riverside Central Elementary School said.Children have always loved horse and horse stories. And for
many of the 90 children who waited their turn to reach through
the fence to pet "Little Black" at the school, it was their
first contact with a horse.
It was also the first step in an educational journey called
the "Black Stallion Literacy Project." The aim: To harness a
child's natural enthusiasm and fascination with horses into a
passion for reading.
After petting the horse, each student was handed a hardcover
copy of "Little Black, A Pony," by Walter Farley, author of
the best-selling The Black Stallion books, for them to keep.
"My sister rode a horse once, and she has a picture of it. But
I never did yet," said 6-year-old Liiban Said, holding the
book for the first time.
at the school Friday
morning.
