Mattie Wells Elementary School hosted a literacy event called “Reading is Snow Much Fun” for students and their families, featuring interactive activities, educational games, and exciting prizes.
Special guest Olaf, the cheerful snowman from Disney’s Frozen, greeted participants as they joined the festivities on Feb. 20.
Ashley White, the family engagement liaison, explained that families rotated through various stations to complete grade-level literacy activities. These activities allowed students to practice spelling words, memorization techniques, high-frequency words, writing, prefixes/suffixes and more.
Families enjoyed a range of educational games throughout the event, including “Pirate Island,” which focused on reading for details; “Extra, Extra,” an informational text game; and “Main St. Shopping,” which concentrated on identifying the main idea.
“These games will be housed in our Family Resource Center for checkout,” White said.
Students also had the opportunity to participate in “Ice Fishing” for a book, with some books containing hidden Dairy Queen blizzard coupons.
Several local businesses generously donated prizes for the event, including Economy Tire, ValuTeachers and AA Action Fencing.
White discussed the prizes students won.
“One K-2 student and one 3-5 student each received a bike, sponsored by Economy Tire and ValuTeachers.
AA Action Fencing donated a fire pit along with a s’mores kit. Economy Tire provided $25 Dairy Queen gift cards. Our school also gave away six snowman cups filled with freeze-dried Skittles and six literacy games,” she said.
White highlighted the significance of the event.
“By partnering with families for literacy night and providing engaging literacy stations, our school strengthens the home-school connection and emphasizes the importance of reading beyond the classroom,” she said.
She discussed the learning opportunities that events like this create for teachers, families, and students.
“It allows our teachers to share practical strategies with families, allowing them to support their children’s literacy development in meaningful ways while fostering a fun and interactive learning environment. By working together, teachers and families can build students’ confidence, strengthen foundational literacy skills, and cultivate a lifelong love of reading,” White said.
