Laurel Ledge School in need of children’s books

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Beacon Falls — A pilot reading program at Laurel Ledge Elementary School has children going through books so fast the school is looking for help to keep up.

“We need a lot of books so that there’s a variety of them for the children to select from,” Laurel Ledge Principal Regina Murzak said.

Murzak explained the school is piloting a reading program this year in which each student reads a “level-appropriate” book for a half an hour every a school day. Laurel Ledge teachers received training from Columbia University Teachers College to implement the program, she said, which is intended to meet the reading needs of all students no matter their reading level.

Thus far, Murzak said, the program has been widely successful. She said from the fall to winter the number of students at the school who need separate reading instruction dropped 50 percent.

Success has its price though, and the school is running low on books for children to read.

Murzak said each student in kindergarten through second grade is going through about 10 books a week, while older students are reading about two books a week each.

“It’s working we just need the materials,” Murzak said.

The Laurel Ledge PTO has stepped forward to help and is currently running a book drive for the school.

“I truly appreciate everything they’re doing,” Murzak said about the PTO.

The PTO is collecting gently used children’s books appropriate for elementary school children. The PTO is running the book drive through March 19 and books can be dropped of at Laurel Ledge Elementary School, Beacon Falls Pizza Palace, Beacon Falls Pharmacy, Gabe’s Mobile Station and Naugatuck Valley Savings Bank.

Murzak said the school needs a mix of non-fiction and fiction books. Most important though, she said, the school needs books.

“We need all levels and all types of books,” Murzak said.