BY MAURA DOWGIN
Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Above, fourth-graders Ranbir Walia (l – r) and David Monte read a fairy tale to first-grader Arpan Chakrabati at Edison’s Wardlaw-Hartridge School on Friday. At right, fourth-grader Jordan Del Sol reads a fairy tale to first-grader Daniel Gallagher.
EDISON — Once upon a time in the Wardlaw-Hartridge School, fourth-graders took time to teach first-graders about fairy tales.
The school’s fifth annual Fairy Tale Day was held Friday in the school library.
The library looked like a scene from medieval times with all of the fourth-graders dressed in fairy tale costumes and all the first-graders wearing crowns they made themselves.
All of the 32 fourth-graders were able to choose a fairy tale they wanted to share with a younger child. The older children dressed as a character to make the exercise more interactive and visually stimulating for all of the children.
The program "definitely encourages reading skills for fourth- and first-graders," said Regina Bassoul-Restivo, principal at the lower school, which is located on Inman Avenue. It also reinforces the public-speaking classes that are taught to all third-grade students at the school.
"It extends the fairy tales because we don’t read all the fairy tales in first grade," said Donna Pedde, one of the two first-grade teachers at the school.
Pedde, who said she taught some of the fourth-grade students when they were kindergartners, said the fairy tale program gives the students reading and public-speaking skills.
"The beauty of this project is the cross-connecting of the first- and fourth-graders," Pedde said. "The first-graders see what’s to come for them when they are fourth-graders, and the older children remember the fun of being read to when they were first-graders."
Aisha Oxley (r) reads a story to first-grader Natalie Bodnar while Stephanie Cramp (far left) follows the story.
During the program children were scattered around the library in reading pairs. There were fourth-grade students dressed in every costume from Peter Pan to the Wicked Witch of the West.
The reading program was nothing new for Ashley Martin, a fourth-grader from Edison. "I’m kind of used to it because I have little cousins," she explained.
Ashley, who was dressed at Thumbelina, read to Benjamin Chen, a first-grader, also from Edison.
Benjamin, who wore a very ornate crown with many jewels, said he loves reading fairy tales and that his favorite one is Peter Pan.
The day was not all fun and games, at least not for the fourth-graders.
"The fourth-graders do a written and oral report on the project," said Ellen Ritz, one of the two fourth-grade teachers. "They include the elements of their chosen fairy tale and explain to the class how the problem or conflict is resolved."
Both Lauren Levine, a fourth-grader from Fanwood dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Abigail Rogers, a fourth-grader from Scotch Plains dressed as Robin Hood’s Maid Marion, said that the fourth-grade students have to write a report on the fairy tales they chose.
The reports must include the title of the fairy tale, the author, the problems, the setting and actions, Abigail said.
"I already wrote most of it," Abigail said. "I just have to write the resolution and a couple more actions."
When it comes to being read to, Devontae Freeland, a first-grader from Edison, said, "I love it!"
The children also enjoyed the feast of cookies and brownies that followed the day of fairy tales.