LINDALE, Texas — Kicking back in a hammock is something most people reserve for camping or a relaxing time in the backyard. However, teachers in Lindale are using hammocks and the outdoors to encourage reading.
In just the first week since their introduction, these hammocks have become a favorite for students.
The Lindale ISD Education Foundation recently awarded E.J. Moss Intermediate School fourth through grade students with a new reading garden, where students can foster their love of reading while growing their connection with nature and literature.
"My kids, when I’ve asked them to rate it one through 10, they say 10 plus, 10, 10, 10. They all love it," said Kim Saunders, a dyslexia specialist at E.J. Moss Intermediate.
The reading garden is a place where students can read quietly in a different environment and enjoy a little sunshine. It's not off-limits to teachers either.
Angie Lockwood, a reading intervention and English as a second language teacher at E.J. Moss Intermediate, said teachers from other campuses come on their lunch break to lay in the hammocks.
This idea took shape through a grant proposal written by Lockwood and Saunders last year, driven by their shared passion for reading.
"It's a joy to see our kids reading. It's a joy to see our kids loving it, falling in love with reading, whether they're reading with their eyes or their ears," Saunders said.
Lockwood added reading and children are both her passions.
"And having the children develop a love of learning and a love of reading is my ultimate goal," Lockwood said.
On Thursday, one of the students Georgia Greer read “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” in her hammock She said she enjoys the break from the classroom.
"We get to get outside, get out of the classrooms, and have a lot of fun. It was kind of boring just sitting in a classroom reading a book," Greer said.
The garden portion of this outdoor space is still a work in progress.
"What we want to grow is readers. We told our kids we don't have a lot of flowers out here yet. Not a lot of plants," Saunders said. "We have a beautiful tree, but what we want to grow in this garden are these kids and their reading and their brains."