On April 27, many elementary students throughout Mission Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) came to school dressed in their Dallas Cowboys football apparel as if it were the NFL playoffs. They, along with tens of thousands of other students and their families across Texas, were preparing to participate in a statewide celebration of literacy by reading the same book at the same time. The Texas Reads One Book program kicked off with Jason Garrett, head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, doing a videotaped reading of the first chapter of The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney. Students in participating schools statewide listened with excitement and prepared to continue reading the book at home with their families.

 

Through Texas Reads One Book, school faculty, staff, students, and students’ families in dozens of elementary schools across Texas are reading The World According to Humphrey through May. Texas Reads One Book is a statewide version of the One District, One Book (ODOB) and One School, One Book programs, which have been used in dozens of districts and hundreds of schools across the United States and Canada. ODOB is the flagship program of Read to Them, a nonprofit family literacy organization.

The One Book program actively engages families in the reading process, and it also creates a culture of reading at both the school and district level. Every student in participating schools or districts receives a copy of the selected book, and families read a chapter from the book each night over a period of about a month. Daily trivia questions, discussions, and other activities in the schools ensure that reading takes center stage in the home, school, and community throughout the duration of the program.

Linking to a hometown hero

Mission, TX, is the hometown of legendary former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, and school leaders designated April 27 as “Hall of Fame Day,” prompting many students to wear their Cowboys apparel. “Our message was: ‘I’m just like him. I can go and be a legendary individual and do great things, too,’” said Cris Valdez, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Mission CISD. “It was a powerful moment for me because of how highly engaged the students were.”

Some of the state’s lowest literacy rates are in southern Texas, and Mission CISD Superintendent Ricardo López immediately saw how Texas Reads One Book supports Mission’s broader initiatives to improve literacy levels. “The home/school connection is very powerful,” noted Valdez. “This program is a celebration of literacy.”
Using her connections

Bonny Urschel, a library assistant at Highland Park High School in Dallas, was instrumental in getting Coach Garrett involved in supporting Texas Reads One Book. She and her husband are longtime friends of Garrett and his wife, and last spring Urschel had Garrett videotape a reading of the final chapter of The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden for the One Book program at Bradfield Elementary School in Dallas. “Sharing books has always been part of our friendship,” Urschel said. “He read to my kids when they were little.”

Both parents and students at Bradfield embraced the idea of reading a single book across the school, and there was nearly full participation among parents. “The kids were super excited about the program, as were the parents,” Urschel said. Seeing the success of the One Book program at Bradfield, she was eager to help support the launch of a statewide version.

Chatting with Urschel on the videotape before he began to read, Garrett noted that sharing books together creates opportunities for parents and children to discuss a wide range of topics. “It opens up an avenue to have a conversation independent of the book,” Garrett said. Then, after reading the first chapter of The World According to Humphrey aloud, Garrett encouraged parents and students to continue reading the book together, one chapter a night. “I think you’ll enjoy the adventures of Humphrey, and it will be good fun for everybody,” he said.

Creating community conversations

“When a whole district reads a book, there’s a whole lot to talk about!” noted Gary Anderson, program director and founder of Read to Them. “We believe that by involving parents, schools, and the community, the Texas Reads One Book program will help participating districts create a culture of reading that extends far beyond the actual time of the program.” The Texas Association of School Administrators is a partner in Texas Reads One Book, as is AASA, the American Association of School Administrators. AASA has designated Read to Them as one of its School Solutions Partners.

To learn more about the One District, One Book program, visit the Read to Them website.

John Micklos, Jr. is the author of more than 20 books for children and young adults, and he enjoys conducting writing workshops in schools. Learn more at his website.