FARMINGTON — Fifth grade students at Cascade Brook School recently received an exciting boost to their reading activities thanks to a grant awarded by the Build-A-Bear Foundation through the nonprofit First Book Marketplace. The class, led by fifth grade teacher Gina Rondinone, was gifted a set of teddy bears and books aimed at improving reading fluency and fostering engagement.

First Book Marketplace supports educators and program leaders who work with children from under-resourced communities, offering access to books and educational materials that promote a love of learning.

Rondinone, a member of First Book Marketplace, applied for the grant after receiving notice of the limited offer. In her application, she said she highlighted the potential of the bears and books to motivate her students in their nightly reading assignments, particularly encouraging reluctant readers to engage more deeply. “Students read an independent book of their choice each night,” she explained. “I wrote that if the class won, I would allow students to pick an independent book of their choice that was of high interest to them. I would send home the bear as a reading buddy to sit and read with or to read out loud to so they could improve their oral fluency skills.”

When the bears and books arrived, Rondinone arranged for the surprises to be waiting on each student’s desk. “When they came in one morning, both were sitting on their desks,” she said. “Students were happily surprised.” The new reading companions were a hit, with several parents reporting that their children showed increased dedication to their reading homework. “One student reported reading the book to her younger brother, while another parent shared that her son packed the bear and book for a camping trip,” Rondinone added.

With remaining funds, the school was able to purchase additional books for the classroom library and provide a bear to each classroom in the school. Rondinone expressed optimism about the program’s lasting impact, noting that “there has been some growth in oral fluency, although I’m interested to see the growth after several months of practice versus a month.”