Reading Comes to Life on Kearney Elementary’s New Book Trail

Reading took Kearney Elementary kindergarteners on an adventure this week as they explored the school’s new Book Trail!

Kindergarten teachers Jennifer Marker and Clarissa Bosky joined Library Media Specialist Sara Kimmel in taking students outside to experience the trail, which features 10 two-sided stations along the school grounds. The first featured story is the children’s classic "We’re Going on a Bear Hunt." As students moved from station to station and followed the story, they also completed activities connected to what they were reading.

It was a fun morning, but it was also a wonderful example of Authentic Literacy in action. Our students weren’t simply reading a book. They were talking about it, responding to it, moving through the story and connecting what they read to an experience they could see, hear and do.

Mrs. Kimmel envisions the Book Trail as a place where literacy, movement, nature and student learning can come together throughout the year. Future possibilities include exercise stations developed with physical education, research projects from GATE students and displays of student work, with plans to change the trail regularly.

The trail itself is also a great example of the Great Schools = Great Community spirit. It was created as an Eagle Scout project by Luke Zurliene, a recent Kearney High School graduate, with help from members of Scout Troop 397, who built and installed the stations this summer.

Best of all, the Book Trail isn’t just for our students. It is open to everyone! Families are invited to visit the north lawn near the Kearney Elementary pavilion, take a walk together and enjoy the story.

Great schools help nurture readers, thinkers and creators. Great communities help give them places to learn, explore and grow. This new Book Trail does a little bit of all of that.