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Penguins prove to be a big hit with students
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Robert Switka, who plays for the Youngstown State University baseball team, reads to youngsters Wednesday at Legacy Academy during the World Series of Reading event.
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Dawn Ferguson, a second-grader at Legacy Academy, reads during the World Series of Reading event. YSU baseball players participated Wednesday.
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
First- and second-graders at Legacy Academy sat with rapt attention, listing to players from the YSU baseball team read.
Six players from the Penguins visited teacher Karla Hoffman’s class as part of the World Series of Reading.
“I’m trying to get my first-graders excited about reading,” Hoffman said. “I want to ignite reading in them — to let them know that knowledge comes from reading.”
YSU baseball players Zac McFarland, Phil Lipari, Robert Switka, Cody Dearth, Ryan Messmer and Chris Mitko took turns reading baseball-themed books to the students. Curious George and the Berenstain Bears were among the titles.
“They were so excited about the team coming,” Hoffman said. “They kept saying, ‘Big boys are going to read to us.’”
Each student set a goal for a number of books he or she hoped to read this week.
Second-grader Destinee Hayes, 7, listed “Frannie and Ginny” by Pat Cummings and “Daddy Can I Have an Elephant” by Jake Wolf as two that she’s already racked up.
“Frannie and Ginny” is about catching ladybugs, Destinee said, and it was a good book. She enjoys reading and reads books at home, too.
“They have fun stories,” Destinee said.
Ja’Shon Neely, 8, also a second-grader, says he likes reading too. He listed “The Nap” as one of the books he’s finished so far.
Second-grader Deshawn Williams, 8, also read “Frannie and Ginny” and “Daddy, Can I Have an Elephant?”
“It’s about a little boy who wants an elephant,” he said.
Though he liked the book, Deshawn says he doesn’t share the boy’s desire to have a trunked mammal as a pet.
“Our first-graders just learned to read,” Hoffman explained to the YSU players. “They’re working on their third book.”
The young pupils read “Can Pig Nap” by T.J. Polve aloud to the players, demonstrating their reading prowess.
Hoffman had to convince some of the first-graders about the importance of reading, she said.
“They said, ‘Why do we have to read? Does the president read? Does the mayor read? The principal?’ I told them yes. They all read.”
Her tactics seem to be working.
“I get calls from parents, ‘He’s reading a book,’” Hoffman said.