Woodland students win bikes through reading program

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Elementary students at Woodland Public Schools entered a raffle to win bicycles through a teacher-led program that aims to increase family togetherness and improve the kids’ reading skills.

Woodland Reads provides free books to elementary students to read with their families throughout the month of April, stated a news release from the district.

Following the month-long event, each student entered a raffle if they correctly answered questions about the book. If their ticket was drawn, the students won a free bicycle and safety helmet donated by Woodland-Kalama Masonic Lodge No. 17.

All three of Woodland’s elementary schools participate in the program that was introduced in 2015 by Patti Cutler, a fourth grade teacher at North Fork Elementary School.

“Developing reading skills at a young age is incredibly important for a student’s lifelong learning,” Cutler said in the release. “In addition, students show that family involvement can dramatically improve student learning, so I wanted to create a program that would address both needs.”

The Woodland Reads program went on hiatus in 2020 because of remote learning and restrictions put in place because of COVID-19, but the program returned this year. Each family received a free copy of “The World According to Humphrey,” by Betty G. Birney, in either English or Spanish.



Students read chapters every night in April and then answered questions about the book in class to enhance their reading comprehension skills, stated the release.

The classroom with the most students who answered the questions correctly were given a prize each day.

We find that adding an element of competition encourages students to participate and read with their family,” Cutler said. “The students love competing to demonstrate their knowledge.”

Ron Horn, the master of the Masonic Lodge, presented the bikes to students who won the drawing at each elementary school on May 7.

Columbia and North Fork elementary schools each received four bikes, while Yale Elementary School received two bikes.

“The members of the lodge missed doing this event last year, so we were excited to start it up again and plan to continue doing it every year,” Horn said.