Reading at Tower Hill

By Amy Bickhart, Head of Lower School

Tower Hill’s strategic initiative of being an “Engaged Community of Scholars” is alive and kicking in the Lower School, especially when it comes to reading. 

Our students relish reading, whether being read to, reading on their own for enjoyment or reading to learn. From early on students are immersed in interactive read-alouds where the essential story elements of character, setting, plot and dialogue, along with reading comprehension, vocabulary development and knowledge through informational facts, pave the way for their own budding interests. Once beginning readers “crack the code” a new world opens at their fingertips. The magic of reading takes charge and with a book in hand, they connect to favorite characters, dive into adventures and explore worlds unknown. 

The foundation for an excellent reading experience is a high-quality, research-based curriculum—one that aligns with our mission and actively engages students. During the 2024-2025 school year, Lower School teachers, led by the Head of Lower School and the Lower School Leadership Advisory Team, undertook a comprehensive curriculum review. This work revealed opportunities to strengthen key areas, particularly fluency and comprehension. As a result, we refined our approach, placing greater emphasis on these essential skills and deepening the overall reading experience for our students.

It is rare to walk through the hallways or step into a classroom without seeing a book in the hands of a student or teacher. Some are fully absorbed in a story, others walk from the library with excitement over the newest book in a favorite series, and student library volunteers can often be found curating and organizing themed displays. The importance of books is evident everywhere.

To support students on their reading journeys, every Lower School classroom is equipped with a robust classroom library that includes a wide range of genres. These collections complement the Lower School Library, which holds an impressive 17,694 books. The enthusiasm for reading is clear: from September through December alone, the Lower School Library circulated nearly 5,800 books to students from Tower Tots through sixth grade.

A key component to building a love of reading is having a variety of selections. A diversity of choice allows students to have agency in what they read. Through instruction as well as research and special projects, such as REaD October, Book Buddies, third grade Changemakers, our Spanish pilot reading program for third and fourth grade and the Big Bang of the Books, readers explore the vast offerings and hone in on what grips their curiosity.

This fall, with the Phillies heading into Red October, third grade teacher Steve Maxwell introduced REaD October to the Lower School. As the Phillies rounded the bases, so did our students, finishing book after book. The scoreboard increased as they decorated bats and balls with the title and author of books read, fastening them to the front hall bulletin board. 

As part of a shared schoolhouse, Upper School students volunteer as book buddy mentors to our first and second grade students. Meeting after school, book buddy teams find a cozy spot before choosing which books from their book bag they want to share with their Upper School buddy. The connection begins as students proudly read aloud while receiving support and encouragement from their buddy. These important bonding moments were built simply through the joy of reading. 

Continuing into third grade, a popular research project has students exploring a variety of biographies detailing the lives of famous changemakers. Teachers are intentional in expanding the students’ learning experience and education around changemakers across the globe, thus the students are tasked with reading a selection of books, writing a reflection on each, with the ultimate result being their choosing the changemaker they will take on to research and portray.

Reading has expanded beyond homeroom and has made its debut this year in the Spanish curriculum for third and fourth grade. The World Language Department set a goal to get literature into students’ hands and apply their class knowledge in real time reading. Students have access to 277 newly purchased books that are shared among the classrooms and are at appropriate reading levels, allowing for strong engagement. 

The longstanding tradition, the interschool Big Bang of the Books May competition between Independence, Tatnall, Tower Hill and Wilmington Friends, caps off the school year for our fourth and fifth grade readers. Although the contest is optional, close to 100% of Tower Hill students are participating this year and have begun preparing by reading as many of the 19 books chosen by the schools’ librarians. The book choices represent a mix of fiction and nonfiction as well as different genres, offering varying lengths and text density. If history prevails, so will Tower Hill at this year’s Big Bang of the Books finale event. 

As students continue into Middle School, DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) blocks are woven into fifth and sixth grade schedules to allow students time to take a moment to pause in their busy days and curl up with a good book. Students who find themselves in need of a great book recommendation know just where to look. As students transition into Middle School, they enjoy being able to access a familiar face in Lower Grades Librarian, Megan McCrery who supports them when they are searching for the perfect book title. Students in seventh and eighth grade have had their interest in reading sparked with book talks by Upper Grades Librarian Meg Grotti and a specially curated selection of books in THE Hub just for them. A passion for supporting students’ love of reading is evident throughout our shared schoolhouse.