See Dick and Jane plant a tree - children's reading program

American Forests, Nov-Dec, 1994 by Gail Garretson

For a first-grader, getting through one or two books is an outstanding accomplishment. So what would you call reading 60? Impossible? Not so in Crawfordville, Florida, where first-graders read an average of 60 books in a school year--some up to 130--and it isn't even a class requirement. What's motivating them? The opportunity to plant a tree.

Donna Sanford, a teacher at Crawfordville Elementary School, piloted the program in Arkansas in 1982 while teaching a remedial reading class. "It broke my heart to see seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade students reading at an elementary level," explains Sanford. Knowing she needed to offer them a motivating factor, Sanford turned to one of her own--the outdoors. "If I had to pick a second career choice, it would be forestry. I love trees," she states.

Now in its sixth year in Florida, the Reading Rangers program is a tremendous success. To date, first-grade students at Crawfordville have read an impressive 13,474 books. And, as the program promises, students were able to plant that same number of trees in nearby Appalachicola National Forest with the help of federal and state foresters.

One of those foresters was Jay Lord, a ranger with the Florida Division of Forestry, who listened to students read and helped coordinate the tree-planting. With colleague Herbert Franklin and agency mascot Smokey Bear, Lord visited classes to talk about trees and fire prevention. They also demonstrated to students and their parents how to dibble, or quickly dig holes for, trees. "This program really breaks the monotony sometimes felt in school. It adds some excitement to learning to read," offers Lord.

One requirement of Sanford's program is a series of books that are progressively harder to read--and so challenge beginners. Soon after moving to Florida in 1988, she found such a series and pursued funding for additional books. Sanford ended up with $8,000 in contributions from local businesses and a matching grant from the state Department of Education: The funding covered book costs and a filing system. It also enabled Sanford to offer students prizes for winning monthly contests, and to hold a year-end party, the Autograph Tea, at which students received photo scrapbooks documenting their achievements. Support now comes from the PTO (parent-teacher organization), parents, local businesses, and state and federal forest agencies.

The program is simple, yet requires the collaboration of many dedicated volunteers. A student first selects a book from the classroom's collection of 130. Once the reading is finished, the child answers questions on a "conference" form and places it in a box, signaling he or she is ready to meet with an adult and discuss the book. Teachers, parents, foresters, and local businessmen volunteer their time to listen to individual students read books and answer questions. Successfully completing the conference adds a book to that student's count, and the process begins again.

The program runs from October through May, with the tree planting in late January or early February--the optimum time on Florida's Gulf Coast. Following the clearcutting of Florida's virgin stands of long-leaf pine back in the 1950s, land was reforested with what was believed to be faster-growing slash pine. But the slash pine grew to only 30 feet in drier areas because its shallow root system is adapted to wetlands and swamps. With an eye toward ecosystem management, foresters now are trying to replant drier land with the more drought-resistant longleaf pine and wetland areas with slash pine. "The type of site available and appropriate for the students dictates the type of tree they plant," explains Wakulla District Ranger Ron Smith.

Smith's office strives to promote awareness of national forests and assist schools "any way we can."

"Have you ever been out in the forest with 100 excited first-graders?" Sanford asks. "[The foresters] were so well organized and helped make each planting fun and efficient."

And students learn that planting is just the start of an ongoing tree-care process. Many want to know how their trees are doing. "They really do feel a connection, a sense of pride," says Sanford.

Following four years of tree planting, Sanford added some variety to the program last year by offering students the chance to plant flowers. As a result, some of the less-attractive areas around the school are ablaze with color in both fall and spring. This year she's trying "Read a book, Catch a fish," which will culminate in a day spent at a catfish-stocked pond on her property.

Sanford's motto is an apt slogan for the whole citizens' planting movement: "We are working to conserve our two most important natural resources--our children and our trees!"