Teachers run bookmobile to counter 'summer slide'

The “summer slide” is not the kind found in the playground, and it’s not fun when it happens to children.

Educational professionals refer to the “summer slide” when students regress in their reading ability because they don’t read over summer vacation, according to Ruder Elementary Reading Specialist Betsy Kohnstamm. The summer slide is particularly detrimental to struggling readers. In the fall when school starts for these readers, the task is to catch up rather than progress.

Reading is Fundamental, a nonprofit children’s literacy organization, further states that the effects of not reading over the summer are cumulative and that “by the end of fifth grade, children who lose reading skills over the summer will be three years behind their classmates.”

A lack of access to a variety of reading materials serves as a barrier to students over the summer.

This is the reason why Kohnstamm and Ruder Elementary first-grade teacher Amy Hanson started a bookmobile that drives throughout Columbia Falls and the Canyon on Tuesdays and Thursdays distributing free books.

This way, children can build personal home libraries.

“Tuesday we go around the area west of Columbia Falls down Highway 2. Some parents have elected to participate and we go directly to their house. Other kids we find like the ice-cream-truck method,” Kohnstamm said. “On Thursday we hit the east side of Columbia Falls, the small communities like Coram, Hungry Horse and Martin City.”

The bookmobilE is a new experiment for the pair. In previous years they have organized a variety of literacy programs at different locations from the park to the library, but children weren’t coming, Hanson said.

“So we’re bringing the books to them,” Hanson said.

 The books have been purchased through two $1,000 grants from Ruder PTO and the Soroptimist Club of Whitefish in addition to a $350 grant from the Rotary Club of Columbia Falls.

 On Thursday, the bookmobile makes its regular stop at the former Canyon Elementary School building in Hungry Horse around 11:30 a.m. A free community meal also is offered on Thursdays, which draws many children.

Kohnstamm, Hanson and Ruder Elementary third-grade teacher Laurie Opatz sit in folding chairs and wait. Nearby is a row of clear plastic tubs filled with books arranged by reading level from kindergarten through fifth grade. Music of children singing plays over the speakers of Kohnstamm’s SUV, which currently serves as the bookmobile.

“Eventually we want to get speakers to play music like an ice-cream truck so kids will know that the bookmobile is coming,” Hanson said.

Nine-year-old Brooklyn Kirby is one of the first children to stop by. In her hand is “Groundhog Day from the Black Lagoon.” The book is part of the funny Black Lagoon series by Mike Thaler.

“The Black Lagoon series is one of my favorite,” Kirby said.

Kohnstamm encourages her to take more books and shows her that they also have children’s magazines.

By noon, a slew of children make their way through the bookmobile. The children surround the tubs and eagerly sort through books and flip through pages. The excitement and smiles are contagious. Young children flock to the kindergarten-level books on the sunny summer day. A few fourth- and fifth-graders also stop by.

“Originally I envisioned older kids doing book talks and reading to ‘sell’ the books. Obviously you don’t have to sell the books,” Kohnstamm said, smiling.

A couple of young girls sit beside Opatz, who reads a few books to them. Another girl tentatively looks to Hanson for guidance.

“What grade are you in? Come on, let’s find a book for you. What kinds of books do you like — books about space or funny fiction stories?” Hanson said.

Before long the girl has a book in her arms to take home.

An older boy looks through a boxed set of chapter-book adaptations of “Star Wars.” Seven-year-old Tanner Vinson stops by the bookmobile to make a book. He stacks some blank pages and Opatz staples them together. There are also some boxes of food from the backpack program for children to take.

After three weeks, Kohnstamm estimates about 50 children are served a week.

Kohnstamm spots a group of girls walking toward the building and shouts, “Come get a free book from the bookmobile.”

“Oh, free books,” the girls say, running toward the bookmobile, but another adult tells them to eat lunch first.

Hanson remembered the first time she completed the bookmobile route.

“Three hours went by like that,” Hanson said, snapping her fingers. “It’s an awesome feeling I love it so much.”

For more information or to find out how to donate, email b_kohnstamm@cfmtschools.net.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.