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Gary schools strive to improve literacy with book vending machines

By and FOX 32 Digital Staff
Published  February 22, 2023 10:14am CST
Gary
FOX 32 Chicago

Schools in Gary get creative with book vending machines

Educators at schools in Gary, Indiana say the book vending machines spark interest in reading and improve literacy.

GARY, Ind. - Instead of snacks, there are books inside the vending machines at a Gary Community Schools.

Educators came up with a new reward system to get children more interested in reading and improve literacy. 

Now there a book vending machines in each school across the district. 

"We can go to the library, but that is unique," one student at McCullough Academy told FOX 32. 

The books are free and students get to use the machine as a reward for good attendance, positive behavior and good grades. 

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"My job is to help teachers build their capacity in the science of reading and in doing so they are trying to promote reading strategies. The biggest push that we do is student interest, and the vending machine, that was the best idea ever," literacy coach Antonia Escobedo said. 

In addition to the vending machines, educators are partnering with Scholastic to get each classroom and teacher equipped with their own personal libraries.