Realizing the importance of reading for real-world situations, the School-Based Management Team of Hyattsville Middle School decided that students should read newspapers on a regular basis to form exemplary life-long learning and reading practices. Therefore, USA TODAY newspapers were purchased and disseminated to all students. Each teacher utilized USA TODAY to teach a content area reading lesson.
The practice of using USA TODAY continued for two years. Then, concerned with two different issues: having students examine local news and saving money, the School-Based Management Team decided to purchase a local newspaper. Teachers and students utilized this newspaper for one school year. During this year, the teachers aired concerns about the periodical: there was not enough color; the students were overwhelmed with the size; the feature sections of the paper changed daily; the articles were too long for the students; and the reading level was too high for our struggling readers.
Listening to teachers concerns, the School-Based Management Team agreed to return to using USA TODAY newspaper as a learning resource for all students.
Virginia Labar
Reading/Testing Coordinator
Hyattsville Middle School
Hyattsville, MD
