Little Brother’s school is very big on reading. Both reading for information and recreational reading are encouraged at school. I’m glad about that, since I’m also a big fan of reading.
In the primary grades, there’s time built into the students’ day for “DEAR” time (Drop Everything And Read.) And once a month for an entire week, the Reading Train comes to school. Each student is required to carry a book wherever he goes (except to lunch, because the train doesn’t come during lunch). You never know when you’ll hear a train whistle and the announcement: “Climb aboard the Reading Train!” Everyone heads out to the hallway with their book, sits down on the floor, and you hear nothing but the rustle of turning pages for 15 minutes.
Little Brother’s class has reading time as well, but it’s not called “DEAR.” Instead, his teacher calls it “DIRT” time: Daily Independent Reading Time. She has provided string bags for each student to keep a couple of books, to be read during DIRT time.
Can you tell where this is going?
They call these bags “DIRTbags.”
