First Graders Have Questions for Channel 25—and a Story to Tell About Reading
Channel 25 reporter Alexa Conroy came to Midway ISD to learn how students become strong readers. At Woodway and Park Hill elementary schools, she found first graders ready to talk about books—and ready with questions of their own.
Conroy read to Ashley Leatham’s class at Woodway Elementary before asking students important questions about reading.
How often do they read?
“Once a day, but really, all day,” one student said.
In Stacy Spink’s class at Park Hill Elementary, another said she reads when her brother reads.
Why is reading important?
“It makes you smarter,” one student said.
“It’s a great way to not be bored,” said another.
And when Conroy asked how long they thought they would keep reading, nearly all had the same answer: “Forever.”
Then the first graders turned the tables. Students wanted to know Conroy’s favorite book and where she was from. When they learned she was from Florida, one student asked whether she had ever seen an alligator.
Spink’s class wanted to know if Conroy ever gets stage fright on the news and how many stories she has reported.
Behind those enthusiastic questions and answers is a districtwide focus on literacy. Leatham told Conroy about Midway’s research-based resources and tools, support for teachers as they put curriculum into practice, and its partnership with Baylor University, which places interns across the district.
“Literacy empowers learners,” Leatham said. “In Midway, we are fortunate to have not only a district, but also families and a community that focus on reading and preparing our students at a young age.”
Midway’s results reflect that focus. On the 2025–26 STAAR, Midway’s fourth-grade reading Masters rate was 20 percentage points above the state’s, and its fifth-grade rate was 22 points above. Fourth-grade reading also grew by 6 points at Meets and 8 points at Masters from the previous year. www.midwayisd.org
Both Leatham and Spink shared ways families can help. Leatham encouraged parents to find reading opportunities beyond books, including words they encounter in the car or anywhere they go together. Spink’s advice was to read with your child for 20 minutes a day.
“You can read aloud, listen to your child read, make it part of a bedtime routine,” Spink said. “Whatever works for your family.”
And for the best tips to reading more – Conroy asked the students themselves.
“Ask for help,” one student said.
“Read with your mom or your dad,” another added.
“Find really cool books that you like,” a third offered.
Conroy came to hear how Midway teaches reading. Our first graders made sure she heard why they love it, too.
And they got some answers of their own: Conroy has lots of favorite books, including Dork Diaries and Harry Potter. She doesn’t get stage fright, and she has reported a story almost every weekday since January. Oh, and she has seen lots of alligators…she has them in her backyard in Florida ;).
