SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – At Stevenson Elementary School, March is Reading Month, which doesn’t just mean a few themed days and a stack of books. It’s a celebration of a culture where reading is woven into nearly every part of the school day.
That energy was on full display when students issued a video challenge to Local 4, inviting our team to come to Stevenson to read with them. I accepted, and when I walked into the building, you could feel the excitement. Students were eager, restless in their seats, ready to dive into the fun and adventure that comes with cracking open a good book.
I joined students for a read-aloud in the auditorium. Down the halls, bulletin boards, posters, and classroom libraries all sent the same message: reading matters here, every single day.
“On this campus, literacy is first and foremost,” said literacy coach Carliss Gaddis. “We need our students to be able to fluently read and comprehend what they are reading.”
For second graders like Joi and Brielle, the benefits are already clear.
“I can be smarter,” Joi said with a smile.
“It helps me gain more knowledge, and it helps me learn new words,” added Brielle.
Third grader Connor says reading helps his imagination take off.
“Because when I read a traveling book, I can travel anywhere I want to go,” he said.
Gaddis says the school has been intentional about making literacy exciting and competitive in the best way.
“We have really understood that we’ve got to incentivize our kids to get them interested in it,” she said. “We have a Battle of the Books program. The Southfield library comes here with our second, third, fourth, and fifth graders, and each class battles each other with a different chapter book. And it’s just so much fun.”
Stevenson’s approach comes as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging state leaders to put a renewed focus on literacy, early childhood learning, and development. At Stevenson, that focus is already part of the daily routine -- bolstered this month by special events, visiting authors, and guest readers.
Throughout March, the school is welcoming local authors, including Diamond Sprawling, along with other community guests who read to students and talk about the power of storytelling. The goal is simple: make reading something students look forward to, not a chore.
Educators say March is a perfect time for families and communities to build similar habits at home:
- Pick up a book every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
- Visit your local library and explore new genres or authors.
- Donate books to support community literacy programs and school libraries.
- Host a reading event, like a book party or family reading night.
Back in the classroom at Stevenson, the room fell quiet as students leaned in to listen to the next line of the story. For them, reading isn’t just an assignment -- it’s a gateway to new worlds, new words, and new possibilities.