Program ties milk to reading

A Coeur d’Alene High School reading teacher is hoping milk and magazines might help turn students into lifelong readers and boost scores on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test.
Bette Price received a grant for the Milk and Magazine Fridays program from the Idaho Dairy Council. Price told the Idaho Dairy Council she noticed a connection between poor work ethics and poor diets.
She’s trying to turn students away from sugary sodas and turn them on to a love of reading and nutritious habits. Each Friday, she’s setting aside time in class for students to read magazines of their choice while enjoying a carton of plain, chocolate or strawberry milk.
Freshman Tristine Cardwell thumbed through an issue of Teen People on Friday, settling on an article titled “When Dating Turns Deadly.”
Price said she surveyed students and bought everything from BMX and motocross magazines to teen and sports magazines. Even if a student is reading an article like “How to go from crush to couple,” Price is glad to have the students practice reading and enjoy reading. Afterward, students have to answer questions on the article and have to answer a pertinent question: “Did drinking milk while reading help your reading in any way?”
She will use student responses to that question along with reading scores on the ISATs to determine whether drinking milk – or reading the magazines – may have boosted scores.
While her students take the ISAT test, Price said each will receive a large bottle of milk to drink.
The computerized test includes a lot of reading, Price said. Students who struggle with reading might not have the perseverance to get through the test, she said.
Some will just look at the reading passages, get discouraged and click on any answer, she said.
“Maybe we’ll build up to 20 minutes of reading a magazine article of their choice,” she said, then students might be able to make it through the ISAT.
Eventually, Price is hoping to transform her classroom into a comfortable place to read. She is seeking donations of furniture or pillows so students can settle in with a good book or article.
Price also is looking for donations of books to expand the classroom library. Students like many of the popular books aimed at adults, she said, by authors such as Stephen King.
Jenifer Reyes said drinking milk might make it easier for students to get involved in reading.
“If you just had a book, it would be work,” the freshman said. “If you have milk, maybe people will actually read.”