OVERBOOKED Launches in Middle School AI

Humor, realistic fiction, fantasy, autobiography, mystery, science fiction … what do all these terms have in common? They are types of literary genres. The Awesomeness Initiative course for all fifth- and sixth-graders is titled OVERBOOKED and will focus on all things reading. Throughout the next four AI meetings, students will rotate through four reading-based classes designed to expose them to good literature to encourage them to read more during the second semester.

Some classes will even infuse some reading time into the near one-hour class. OVERBOOKED is the brainchild of Anne-Lise Knecht Woods ’85, Shari Lincoln, and Kim Gardner. The OVERBOOKED kickoff on January 11 featured teachers decked out in OVERBOOKED T-shirts, cheering on their students to encourage reading. 

After the opening cheer, students divided up and followed their faculty leaders to a room for the first session: Get Your Genre On. This opening session featured an EDPuzzle video about various literary genres and then multiple games of Genre Bingo! 

In addition to Woods, Lincoln and Gardner, faculty leaders are Christina Szmigiel, Leslie Lutz, Tara Westbrook, Catherine Lampka, Cathy Gullo, and Kathryn Sohne.

Future meetings will be themed in a fun way as well. They are: 

• Book Appetit: Book Tasting (Lutz, Westbrook)
• Forever Young: Picture Books (Woods, Sohne)
• What’s Your Number: The Dewey Decimal System (Gardner, Szmigiel)
• Book Hoarder: Book Recommending (Lincoln, Lampka/Gullo)

In the end, students will rotate through all classes throughout the semester and hopefully have a fondness for reading following the AI experience. In the past, fifth- and sixth-grade AI classes built upon their learning and skills through special typing, study skills, digital citizenship, and health sessions. These skills have not disappeared  – many are incorporated into advisory, like digital citizenship, while others are integrated into regular classes, like study skills. 

The goal was to “fun-up” the AI classes for fifth- and sixth-graders. “Years ago, we had a reading focus during advisory time, where we read two times each week,” Woods said. Since that has gone away, so has the excitement for reading. We wanted to bring that excitement back to the students … to remind them how you can get lost in a book!” 

Gardner was thrilled to be part of the planning trio. “Anytime I can get anyone to promote reading and books, it's a win for our entire reading community,” she said. “By involving teachers who normally don't participate in library classes and events, we are spreading the word about great books for kids and opening up the possibility of more people reading and using the library.”

The overall goal of the program is to further expand the joy of reading fostered in the English library and humanities classrooms. Following each AI session, students will debrief in English class the next day and spend time reading for pleasure. 

“The power of story is universal,” Lincoln noted. “ In this age of technology, it is important that students see themselves in books and make connections to the stories of others. This is what helps build empathy, respect, and understanding—critical skills that our world definitely needs!”

Upcoming Middle School AI days are Thursday, January 27; Thursday, February 10; Wednesday, February 23; and Friday, March 25.

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