GRANT HELPS MAY GREEN STUDENTS READ MORE

It's easy to tell a child to get a book and read. The hard part is getting him to do it. Even harder is convincing him to like it.

Those simple facts form the basis of the reading acceleration program at May Greene Elementary School in Cape Girardeau.

Dr. Barbara Kohlfeld, principal, received a $33,000 grant for the program in 1994. The money was used to buy computers, software and books for each classroom.

Students read books, anything from classics like "Black Beauty" to new series like "Goosebumps." When a book is finished, a student takes the appropriate disk, puts it in the computer and enters his name and password. The computer asks multiple choice questions about the book and awards points for each correct answer.

The computer program also keeps track of the number of books read by each student, the number of points earned and the percentage of correct answers on each test.

To encourage completion of books, May Greene has DEAR -- Drop Everything And Read -- each day from 2:30-3 p.m.

Students are expected to meet a certain point goal each year. Third-graders must get 30 points, fourth-graders 40 points and so on. Most of them do it. Along the way, they receive prizes like pencils, stickers and Frisbees.

But until last year, the school had more computer disks than books. There were tests available for books the school didn't own. Kohlfeld applied for a YELL grant through the United Way and received $1,500 to buy more books.

"Kids like the computers," she said. "Give a 7-year-old a computer and he or she will feel much more comfortable with it than many adults would."

There are four main reading goals for students at May Greene Elementary: read more, develop better reading skills, develop a love of reading and progress to harder books.

The idea seems to be working. Students in Karen Gibbar's third-grade class were excited about using the computer this year.

"It helps you learn," said Brittany Hunt.

Her classmate, Sharita Smith, thought about the future.

"You have to learn how to read to get a job," she said.