Boulder Hill Teacher, Students Praised in Natonally Distributed Education Book

This year, educators across the country will pick up literacy expert Miriam Trehearne’s new book, "Learning to Write and Loving It." And when they do, they’ll find a shout-out to a pair of students and their former Kindergarten teacher.

How did this happen? To hear that teacher, Jo Simpson, tell it, it came about by chance.

The Oswego School District contracted Trehearne, a nationally-known writer and speaker on literacy issues, in 2009 to conduct a “literacy audit” of four schools: Boulder Hill, , and East View Kindergarten Center.

As part of that audit, Trehearne visited Kindergarten, first grade and second grade classrooms in all four schools over five days. And on one of those days, she popped in on Simpson’s Kindergarten class. And initially, she got quite a sight: Simpson’s students, as part of a unit on birds, were acting out what they’d learned.

“I didn’t know when she was coming,” Simpson said, laughing. “They were all over the room, flying, when she walked in. She loved it. She knows that’s the way kids learn.”

Trehearne stuck around, and got to see Simpson’s students practice their reading and writing. Simpson said Trehearne was particularly impressed by the students who imitated the form of the book they’d just read, asking questions in their own writing and answering them.

At the end of the class visit, Trehearne asked Simpson if she could use some of her students’ work in a new book. She ended up choosing papers by Tricia Carmody and Alyssa Krol, both now third graders. Their work is reproduced in full in Trehearne’s book, alongside a discussion of Simpson’s teaching methods.

The book, Simpson said, is geared toward pre-school and Kindergarten writing. It was published in August of this year. And while she didn’t know what Trehearne had written about her, Simpson said, she was pleased when she read it.

“I’m dying to read the whole book,” she said. “There are a lot of great ideas in it.”

Trehearne’s audit of the schools was presented to the Oswego School Board in January 2010, and while she found many strengths in the reading and writing programs, she suggested several improvements as well. Boulder Hill Principal Jeff Schafermeyer said her audit has formed the basis of programs that were instituted across the district.

Simpson said getting kids interested in reading early is key to making them lifelong learners. And writing, she said, was until recently barely touched on in Kindergarten, but now is a “huge focus.” Students, she said, get a sense of accomplishment expressing themselves through writing.

“I’m thrilled these students get a chance to showcase what they have done through Miriam,” she said.

"Learning to Write and Loving It" is available on Amazon.com here.