Bookworm Takes Over Highland School During Reading Incentive

Highland School is home to a bookworm—and it was created by bookworms.

For each book a student, parent or teacher read during the 2010-11 school year, they got to write the name of the book on a colored construction paper circle and tape it to the wall in the hallway. As they read more and more books, the bookworm grew and grew, until it reached 2,661 circles at the program’s conclusion.

“We wanted to think of a way to encourage students to read that would allow them to see their progress. We invited parents and teachers to participate, as well; it became a Highland School community activity,” said LRC coordinator Joann Bushman.

The initial goal was to get down the intermediate hallway, but they hit that benchmark and decided to keep going. The bookworm grew all the way back to Principal Judy Kmak’s office, all the way down the primary wing of the school, and partway back to the main entrance before the incentive wrapped up May 23.

“It was a way to get the students excited about reading, and it was very successful,” Bushman said. “They also got to see what books their classmates and others had read.”

To conclude the bookworm reading incentive, students had the opportunity to win prizes by guessing how many circles made up the bookworm.