Ravine Drive students race to California and back
Students log miles for characters by reading books
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Top to bottom:Astudent logs her progress in "The Great Reading Race," a literacy program for students in grades K - 3 at Ravine Drive School in Matawan. On March 7, a crew for New Jersey Network's "Classroom Closeup" TV show was at the school to tape students creating literary characters using the latest technology. Teachers Dave Lehman and Kate Redzinak created "The Great Reading Race" to help develop their students' reading skills. Students also created their own characters and a design to be screen printed on T-shirts.

MATAWAN- TV cameras were set up at Ravine Drive School March 7 to cover a cross country race among students at the school.

"Classroom Closeup," a New Jersey Network TV show, visited Ravine Drive School to film "The Great Reading Race." The "race" is actually a reading incentive program developed by teachers David Lehman and Kate Redzinak that tracks literary characters competing in a cross country road race to California and back.

"We used NASCAR as an inspiration," Lehman said last week. "Each grade level reads the appropriate material and students earn mileage for their character on the map."

The more students read, the more miles their characters cover. Students in each grade read at their corresponding reading level and earn different mileage appropriate for the achievement. The race is open to the students from grades K through three.

This is the first year for the race, which began in November. When a winner is declared later in the school year, the winning grade will be treated to a milk and cookies party.

"NASCAR winners usually get a glass of milk when they win a big race, so our winners will get milk and cookies," explained Lehman.

The teachers are charting the students' progress on a large-scale map in the school's hallway. The students' mileage is scaled to the map and each time more mileage is tallied, the characters are moved accordingly.

Currently, the second-graders are in first place. Their literary character is Miss Frizzle driving her "Magic School Bus." She is well on her way to California and has reached Utah.

The program recently received a grant from theMatawan Aberdeen Education Foundation for the children to design their own characters using computer programs. The illustrations are then transferred to T-shirts and at the end of the year, the students will wear their T-shirts in a parade at the school.

According to Lehman, the incentives and friendly competition are meant to build self-esteem and motivation for reading.

"We use things like the Promethean board with these programs and whenever we can integrate technology, it brings a higher level of collaboration from the students," Lehman said.

The Great Reading Race program has been so popular within the district and among administrators that a proposal written to NJN resulted in the taping of the T-shirt design process and race coverage last Friday.

"Anything to get a book in a child's hand and to get them reading is worth getting involved in," said Redzinak. "I work with younger children and I like to use older children to work with the younger ones, teaching them social skills. The older students learn patience and tolerance in return."

Redzinak described the collaboration between the grade levels as a win-win situation for everyone involved.

"I really hope that other districts pick it up after seeing it on 'Classroom Closeup,'" she said. "Anytime you can teach someone else a new motivator, it is a great thing."