Ninth graders at STEAM write and read children's books for kindergarteners at NMHZ

Ninth graders at the Mount Vernon STEAM Academy presented short stories that they wrote in class to kindergarteners at Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School. This project-based learning assignment is titled “Little Readers, Big Authors” and is a part of a trilogy of events that allowed STEAM students the opportunity to interview younger students, learn about their likes and interests, and write children’s books tailored to what they’ve learned. 

On May 22, ninth graders in Ashley Wallace’s Honors ELA and Courtne Comrie’s ELA classes will showcase presentations detailing the writing process, their experiences visiting NMHZ and how they incorporated the feedback they received into their finished works. This will take place during an expo event that families, students, and staff are invited to attend. 

This project started with the scholars taking a field trip to NMHZ to meet with students in Ms. Fernandez and Ms. Paratore’s kindergarten classes. Here, the ninth graders read picture books to the younger students and conducted interviews, learning their reading preferences and interests. 

 “We’re writing a story on something interesting that we know the younger students enjoy reading about,” said Dylan Avelino, a ninth grader at STEAM. “I want the kids to enjoy the books we write. I know that if I were their age, I would love to have a book with lots of art and images that pop out and show colors.” 

They then entered a brainstorming period where they assembled storylines, characters and ideas for what their stories would be about. Each story must have a conflict that is overcome by the end of the narrative. Students then wrote drafts, engaged in peer reviews and completed the final version of their books that would be read to the kindergarteners. 

“When we were coming up with our ideas, everyone was doing animals, spaceships and other magical things. I was thinking maybe I could teach the kids about atoms and science,” said Mariam Abdallah Rababah, a ninth grader at STEAM. “My book is about Ellie the Electron, who is looking for atoms to bond with, and she’s looking for a home.” 

The younger students were delighted when the high schoolers visited the NMHZ media center again to read the finished works out loud. Kindergartners listened to stories about magical teachers and evil scientists, mice going through hurdles to win the biggest piece of cheese and many more interesting concepts. 

Titles include “Danny’s Surprise Adventure,” “Sir Cheesy in Cheeseville: The Battle for the Big Cheese” and “The Mysteries of the Mystic Mountain.”