Scores--and Self-Image--Improve : Pupils Win Twice in Reading Olympics

It was a big day Friday at the 66th Street Elementary School in South-Central Los Angeles--especially for second-graders Celina Berber and Norma Briceno, winners in the school’s third annual Reading Olympics.

The smiling 8-year-old friends hugged trophies nearly half as tall as they are after an outdoor awards assembly attended by most of the school’s 1,020 students.

The ceremony capped a yearlong competitive program designed to improve reading skills and build self-esteem for students at the inner-city school.

“My father said that if I won a trophy for reading he would give me a party and invite all my friends,” Celina said.

“My father said he would buy me a watch,” Norma said.

Celina met the parental challenge by reading 56 books and being selected as the outstanding reader in the second grade. Norma was the first-place winner in Room 43. She read and reported on 67 books.

Lorene Bradley, the school’s librarian and language coordinator, said that at the first of the year she had recommended that Celina write book reports in Spanish because that was the language she was reading in. But, she said, Celina insisted on reading and writing in English because her friend, Norma, told her it was easy and was helping her.

After a few weeks, the librarian said, Celina returned to the library and said, “I was afraid, but it is so much fun.”

Students selected as “most outstanding” readers in other grades included Coral Sanchez, Room 11, third; David Dorantes, Room 8, fourth; Aldopho Pineda, Room 23, fifth, and La Juana Willis, Room 42, sixth.

In all, presenters, including school board member Rita Walters, handed out 127 trophies of various sizes to first-, second- and third-place winners in each classroom, to overall winners at each grade level and to students showing the most improvement. The trophies were provided by more than a score of outside sponsors.

The idea of promoting reading competition among 66th Street School students was developed as Los Angeles prepared to host the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

“I just thought this program would be an inspiration, and it was,” Bradley said. This year’s theme is, “Learning to Read is the Gateway to Success.”

School Principal Carmen S. Garner said her school’s competitive reading program is unique in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and she credited the Reading Olympics with helping raise test scores.

But more than that, she said, the program improves her students’ self-image.

“Just look at them today,” she said, glancing around as her charges trooped past on the way to the playground assembly area. “They’re dressed up.”