StoryWalk

Let’s Go! has developed a program that invites families to follow a “path of pages.” The new program called StoryWalk, places the pages of a children’s picture book along a trail to offer up an activity rich in literacy and healthy movement.

The StoryWalk pilot was developed using the picture book, Scoot! by Maine author/illustrator, Cathryn Falwell. Cathryn not only allowed her book to be used in this way, but created extra illustrations that demonstrate to children how they can move like the animals featured in the pages of Scoot!. This first Story Walk set contains 29 pages or signs that can be placed along any path.

The StoryWalk for Scoot! debuted on the playground of Morse Street School in Freeport, Maine. Beth Markelson’s first grade class listened to Cathryn Falwell read the book and then went outdoors to read the pages themselves on StoryWalk. Each page also has an action associated with it, so first graders were leaping like frogs and scurrying like chipmunks to each new page or sign. Many of the students declared that StoryWalk was “awesome.” Their teacher Beth Markelson was delighted to see them reading with confidence and rushing to read the next page or sign. “It is so wonderful to see how strong their reading is,” she said, “They are finally ready for second grade.”

Author/illustrator Cathryn Falwell was also delighted with the outcome. “The book is about all the animal activity around a Maine pond and the six silent turtles that sit still as stones until all of the activity forces them to get moving. It was delightful to see kids creating the same kinetic energy as the pond dwellers. What a great program.”

Morse Street School is one of twenty area schools that participated in the Let’s Go! / 5-2-1-0 Goes to School program this school year. As part of their participation, Morse Street School received a grant from Let’s Go! that has helped the school with their goal of increasing physical activity during the school day. Some of the school activities have included yoga classes, utilizing the Take Time program, and providing pedometers for walking groups.

Morse Street School also wanted to keep kids moving at recess and provide an activity for those children who may not use the playground equipment. A StoryWalk was a perfect opportunity to offer a nontraditional playground activity and to promote the message that both reading and walking are healthy activities. This StoryWalk will be set up at the Morse Street playground until the end of the school year, so community members are invited and encouraged to enjoy Scoot! after school hours.

For more information on StoryWalk and how your organization can host a StoryWalk of your own, please call 874-1000.