Murals encourage students to read

MONROEVILLE — An area art teacher used her talents to spark students' interest in reading. Just before Christmas, Monroeville Elementary art teacher Brandi Goodwin started painting a mural with snow-capped mountains and an eagle, the school district's mascot, soaring above the landscape. She finished about two weeks ago, working on it for about 40 to 50 hours.Brandi Goodwin, an art teacher at Monroeville Elementary, painted a mural at the school to encourage students to reach their reading goals.Goodwin wanted to brighten up the wall and encourage the school's kindergarten through third grade students to achieve their reading goals."I thought, 'Why don't I just make a mural?'" she said.Kindergarten students read in their reading boats during class at Monroeville Elementary on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019.Each step equals 15 minutes of reading with each mountain representing 100 steps up to 800 steps, the highest goal. A footprint sticker marks how much reading every student has completed so far. At school, students get to read for about 30 minutes a day and are encouraged to read more at home.Kindergarten students Ethan Ridley, left, and Jackson Mockler read next to a pretend fireplace at Monroeville Elementary on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019.Another mural Goodwin painted is down the hallway and color-coded with reading levels from kindergarten to sixth grade. In fact, kindergarten student Jaxson Strong moved his dot to the color green Wednesday, meaning he moved up a level. All kindergarten students begin at the color red and can move up the more they read. Kindergarten student Jaxson Strong moves into the next reading level by moving his dot on a mural at Monroeville Elementary on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019.Students are impressed with Goodwin's newest artwork, complimenting her often. They seem to enjoy reading."The kids are so supportive," she said.Monroeville Elementary art teacher Brandi Goodwin stands in front of the mural she recently finished. The mural includes mountains and encourages students from kindergarten to third grade to achieve their reading goals.Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodKindergarten students read during class on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, at Monroeville Elementary.