During the week of Sept. 22-26, members of the Seymour Elks Lodge delivered 644 dictionaries to every 3rd grade students in Jackson County. In addition they are delivering 24 Spanish to English dictionaries to 3rd grade Hispanic students who are not yet fluent in English.
The goal of the project is to assist all students in completing the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing students with their own personal dictionary, said Elks Club spokesperson Fred Lewis.
“Reading is the most important skill of all,” said Lewis. “It is the starting point for all the economic and social opportunities this world has to offer.”
Educators see third grade as the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn.
Shown with third grade students and their dictionaries in back are Fred Lewis of the Seymour Elks Lodge, and third grade teachers Sharon Markel and Rebecca Thomas.
