By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Alamo Elementary School in Otsego recently got a new addition to its playground.
A StoryWalk was installed on the playground’s walking trail, providing students with the opportunity to hone their reading skills even while they are at recess.
Otsego Public Schools elementary literacy coach Gina Watson described the StoryWalk as “a movement-and-literacy-boosting project that places an illustrated children’s book, taken apart and displayed page by page, along a walking route in your community.”
Watson said the StoryWalk provides multiple potential benefits to the students at Alamo.
“StoryWalks provide an opportunity for students, classes and families to experience the outdoors together, to get some exercise and to share the rewards of enjoying a great book,” she said.
“Experiencing a StoryWalk gives children the opportunity to learn new words, describe things and events, enjoy and tell stories, learn how to follow a story in sequence—physically moving from page to page—and hear and play with sounds and letters in words.”
The project was a collaborative effort between the school, the Otsego Public School Foundation and the building, trades and welding classes from the Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center.
The Otsego Public School Foundation provided the funding for the project.
“This group continues to support students at Otsego Public Schools in a variety of ways to elevate their learning,” the district said in a release. “This year, they have especially invested their efforts around science and literacy.”
Students from the Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center handled the actual building and installation of the StoryWalk. The project was designed to withstand the various kinds of weather seen in Michigan—rain, snow, wind and sun.
The Alamo Parents and Teacher Organization is planning to support the book purchasing, selection and distribution. Story selection will emphasize learning around the four seasons we all get to experience in Michigan.
According to Watson, nature-based education such as that provided by the StoryWalk has proven to be a highly effective took when it comes to teaching children.
“There are many proven benefits to nature-based education,” Watson said. “It can boost academic performance as well as support physical, mental and emotional health. Students can expand their knowledge and are invited to connect with nature.
“And let’s not forget the benefits of getting kids outside and moving.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the StoryWalk will take place in September to coincide with the start of the 2023-24 school year.
The district plans to install two more StoryWalks at its schools, one at Dix Street Elementary and one at Washington Street Elementary.