FARMINGTON — Reading was a team effort recently at the UMF Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Early Education Center when students from the Mt. Blue Middle School stopped by to read with a buddy for National Read Across America week. The collaborative program provides a valuable opportunity for children to bond and learn from each other while continuing the strong partnership UMF has with local schools as they continue to prepare tomorrow’s educators.
Excited children from toddlers to school-age were happy to see their reading buddies from Courtney Fish ’17, coordinator of the program, and Tyler Hutchinson’s ’24 eighth grade middle school classes. They quickly settled in for some one-on-one reading time. The second reading buddies meeting, Fish hopes to schedule one more shared reading before the end of the school year. Mallet School also welcomed eighth grade reading buddies that day.
Erica Thompson, Sweatt-Winter director, appreciates the supportive relationship the center has with local educators, many of whom are UMF graduates and understand the valuable college and community connection.
“When Courtney brought this idea to me last year, I was immediately excited for the opportunity,” said Thompson. “What a great way to get children excited about reading. In early childhood we read so many books to children and this event was so fun to watch our children enjoying new readers with new books. It’s a great collaboration and learning opportunity for our young children and their middle school friends and the bonus is that all the kids loved it.”
Sponsored by the National Education Association, the National Read Across America week kicked off on March 2 with Dr. Seuss’ birthday and ran until March 6. It is part of March’s national reading month dedicated to fostering a love of reading for all ages.
“We did a lot of pre-teaching to our kids at the middle school so they could be comfortable sharing their knowledge and enjoy this experience,” said Fish. “Learning to read is so important and we’re just thrilled to be able to be a part of a community that values learning in a collaborative way.”
Reading with a buddy is especially helpful for both reading partners. It creates a supportive environment that boosts confidence and fluency in addition to helping children develop communication skills and learn to enjoy reading.
“This event has such a positive effect on our students,” said Hutchinson. “Our students are all smiles when they talk about it and are excited about reading, and that has them open to learning so much more.”
Bre Maxim ’24, graduated from UMF just two years ago and is now an assistant teacher at the center.
“It’s always a lot of fun when the community gets involved with an enriching activity like this,” Maxim said. “It’s a win-win. Our children love meeting new people and they love being read to.”
The new Sweatt-Winter facility opened its doors in spring 2024 and includes spacious, well-lit classrooms intentionally designed to support the learning and development of preschoolers and school-age children. It also features two new classroom spaces for high-quality infant and toddler care, creating 20 new slots to help meet the needs of area families.
Sweatt-Winter serves as a lab school for UMF students majoring in early childhood education or early childhood special education who complete much of their coursework and hands-on teaching experience there. A state-of-the-art undergraduate/graduate student classroom was added to the facility. Observation areas are strategically placed throughout the center to help pre- and in-service teachers see and understand children’s play, behavior and learning styles, and refine their own teaching practices.
Extensive outdoor playgrounds funded through a $100,000 gift from The Lennox Foundation complement the center’s indoor spaces and are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of each age group served while also giving UMF students experience seeing and supporting nature-based education.
For more information, contact Erica Thompson at 207-778-7482 or [email protected].
A nationally recognized regional public university, the University of Maine at Farmington is known for its commitment to teacher preparation, the creative arts, health and science, environmental studies, business and public service. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF provides a challenging but welcoming academic community — here in Farmington and online — that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.
