Sparking an interest in reading
Nov 27, 2024
Mr. Paikuli sparks an interest in reading at Ahtanum Valley Elementary
For many kids, the path to becoming great readers starts with a great book series and for many of us, that first great series is Harry Potter. At Ahtanum Valley Elementary, one teacher decided to make his classroom come alive with the stories of Harry Potter to create that spark for reading and learning!
Mr. Paikuli, one of our great fourth-grade teachers, decided to turn his classroom into an interactive world of Harry Potter. Not only is the classroom decorated from carpet-to-ceiling with Harry Potter decorations, much of the class operates like the popular book series. On the first day of school, imagine having the Sorting Hat place you into your “House” – which will be the cooperative learning group that you’ll work in. Students within a “House” talk about how to solve math problems together, cooperatively work to solve complex word problems, and create science demonstrations – all to gain “points” for their House.
Students love to experience this approach to learning. One fourth-grade boy commented, “Knowing my class was based on Harry Potter made me so happy! I was begging to be in this class!” Another student said, “It makes me want to read more because I just want to know all about Harry Potter.” Even Mr. Paikuli’s former students had something to say about how it affected them to be in this environment, with comments such as “It motivated me,” “It made me excited to come to school,” and “I loved it – I just kept reading after school was out!”
Mr. Paikuli is in his eighth year of teaching at Ahtanum Valley Elementary. He decided a couple years into his teaching career that he wanted to create a love for literature and a way to connect with his kids. With that, he’s been building his classroom ever since. He remembers, still, the impact that a teacher made on his own development as a young reader by reading to his class The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Mr. Paikuli seeks to have the same positive influence on his students that his teacher had on him. He reads to his students while they’re eating their lunch and usually makes it through the third Harry Potter book by the end of the year – every so often a class can make it through the fourth book as well. Mr. Paikuli shared, “The best part is that it makes such a connection with the kids. We get talk all year about the story, we laugh together, and we talk about what might happen.”
It’s easy to see that this approach is working, too. Mr. Paikuli’s classes consistently score well above the state average on the state reading assessment. His students also consistently have exemplary scores on the District’s reading assessment which is called the iReady diagnostic assessment. In fact, in two out of the last three years, 100% of his students met their typical growth goal on the iReady assessment!
Thank you, Mr. Paikuli, for creating such a student-centered classroom at Ahtanum Valley Elementary!