Young readers' heroes the bald and the brave

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Instead of watching cartoons after school, 8-year-old Brittney Liu reads chapter books.

She's read so many books — 50 to be exact — that she has helped her school exceed its reading goals by 124.5 percent.

But that's not why she read all those books.

The real reason? To see second-grade teacher Jeffrey Schaefer bald.

"I'm going to laugh," she said with a giggle.

Last year the school barely reached 40 percent of its reading goal — students had read about 25,000 books. That led school officials to think creatively in their search for an incentive to get the students to read more.

The solution: a shave-a-thon.

Seven male faculty and staff volunteers agreed to shave their heads if the students met 85 percent of the reading goal as part of the 25 Books Campaign, a goal set within the standards-based America's Choice program. In other words, they had to read at least 45,345 books.

They have read more than 72,000 books this school year.

All seven volunteers will shed their locks Tuesday during an assembly. A student from each grade will get to make the first pass on each.

"The kids can't wait to see them bald," said principal Eileen Hirota. "We're just so proud the kids have done this. ... When you look at it, it's really an accomplishment."

The 25 Books Campaign sets goals for different grade levels. Each student in kindergarten through second grade has to reach 160 books a year, including books read to them by parents. Third-graders have to reach 30 chapter books a year. The older students, who are required to read longer chapter books, need to finish 25 books each.

The students log the titles on a form that gets reviewed by their teachers. No comics, no magazines. And they have to read a variety of genres, from biographies to fantasies to poetry.

Jay Nakasone, a school counselor who has agreed to shave his head, has been growing out his hair since January. He said the students teased him about it practically all year.

"Yeah, they were smack-talking," Nakasone said. "They're all really excited."

In 1998 'Ewa Beach Elementary was one of the first six schools to implement America's Choice, a reform program that focuses on reaching national standards. Teachers focused their curriculum on reading and writing, using customized learning approaches in the classroom — and have seen results.

Since the program's implementation, the school has seen gradual increases in student scores on the Stanford Achievement Test, Hawai'i Content and Performance Standards II test and the New Standards Reference Exam, according to data released by the school.

"The philosophy is that everybody can learn the same thing but at a different pace," Hirota said. "Same instruction, same expectations. ... And that has made a heck of a difference."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.