East Elementary School's librarian Laura Williams rewarded the school's top-performing and most-improved readers with a field trip Tuesday to read to dogs and cats at the Jefferson City Animal Shelter.
Williams said students take an iReady reading-level assessment four times a year, and "we plan on coming back in May" - whether it's the same group of students who were at the animal shelter Tuesday or different.
Williams said she came to the shelter ahead of time last Friday to select books for the East students' Tuesday visit from the shelf dedicated two years ago in memory of Sally Bodenhamer.
The shelter's "Sally's Buddy Books" program lets children who come visit the shelter pick out a book and read to an animal.
Williams - in her first year as a librarian at East, and in her third year with JCPS - said she wanted to have students read to animals because, for one, it's an experience that can teach students empathy.
She added the activity fits within the school district's push to have all of its students reading at or above their grade-level.
East Elementary fifth-grader Emma Brown said she was the highest-performing reader in her grade.
"They don't judge you by how good or bad you're reading," Brown said of why she liked reading to animals.
She was reading "Rocket Write a Story" to Millie, a female, 1- or 2-year-old mixed breed dog.
Second-grader Corinn Dotson said Sugar - an 8- or 9-year-old female Cocker Spaniel - "is very pretty." Dotson said she used to have a dog, but it ran away, and this was her first time at the shelter.
She was reading "Fly Guy" and "One Winter's Night."