Illinois Third Grade Teacher Wins 'SLJ' IRA Sweepstakes
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By Lauren Barack -- School Library Journal, 02/01/2010
Patti Key, a 25-year third-grade teacher, is heading to the International Reading Association’s (IRA) 55th annual convention in April—as the grand prize winner of the SLJ IRA Sweepstakes.
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Patti Key is winner of the SLJ IRA Sweepstakes. |
Key loves to read to her class often, and believes that when children hear words spoken aloud, it enforces their literacy skills.
“I think the only way a kid is going to like reading is if they like being read to, and that’s where it all starts,” she says. “It’s a wonderful way to explore books.”
The SLJ IRA Sweepstakes, cosponsored by Candlewick Press, honors the 10th anniversary of author Megan McDonald’s heroine Judy Moody. Besides the grand prize, two runners-up won the "Judy Moody," "Stink," and "Sisters Club" series, all by McDonald. Both Doreen Harris of Columbus Elementary in Tulsa, OK, and Jacquie Galano of Ann MacArthur Primary School in Locust Valley, NY, captured that prize.
“We love the Judy Moody books,” says Galano, by email. “We learned to write letters from Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker (2006) and learned ecology tips on Earth Day from Judy Moody Saves the World (2002, both Candlewick). It is magical to match students with just the right books and teach the research skills that they will use throughout their lives.”
Key’s students also enjoy Judy Moody, and often pick up the series to read on their own from her classroom collection or from the school library, she says.
“Oh Judy Moody Goes to College (Candlewick, 2008) is a favorite,” she adds. “They love it.”
