TULSA, Okla. — Every month, 2 News teams up with Equity Bank and Gaining Ground to foster the love of reading in local 3rd graders. It was a beautiful day at John Hope Franklin Elementary School forRead 2 Lead.
“It’s fun for me because I can read Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” said 3rd grader Juan Lara.
John Hope Franklin Elementary was full of 3rd-grade students who loved to read.
Reading is a crucial skill for this age group.
“It’s the foundation of everything,” said 3rd-grade teacher Sheritta Arrington. “If you can’t read then there’s a lot of things you might not be able to do. So we’re trying to teach these kids to learn to read so eventually they’ll be able to read to learn.”
The Read 2 Lead initiative is designed to inspire a lifetime of reading for these students.
“I get smarter and know how to read,” said 3rd grader Kash Martin.
The 2 News Team had a great time explaining how this fundamental skill can take these students far, and Equity Bank even helped out by presenting a $250 check for the school.
“I think it’s just a great experience for them because a lot of them don’t get to experience a lot of different things, so I think this is a great change for them,” said Arrington.
The students got a chance to practice their forecasting skills on the green screen. 2 News Meteorologist Anne Brown showed them the storm truck and all its cool features.
Gaining Ground brought out their bus, where each student took home 2 free books to build their personal libraries.
“I feel great today,” said Lara.
“It’s all wrapped around literacy and it’s just a great program for the kids,” said Arrington.
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