Hampton Cove Elementary School
Parade of Readers
Huntsville City Schools
Principal: Dr. LaKeeta Perkins
Superintendent: Dr. Clarence Sutton
Parade of Readers began 30 years ago to encourage reading in first grade. The program and community tradition has grown into a school-wide celebration and is a contributing factor in the success of Hampton Cove Elementary. Over the years, Hampton Cove’s Parade of Readers program has grown and this year we even had Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz share the program guidelines with families! Each year, the program kicks off with a first grade performance and a parade around the school that includes local dignitaries, community partners and feeder pattern schools. The program theme changes each year and the original teachers who created the program attend every year. Students earn a link in their paper chain for every chapter or book they read (based on the student’s current reading level). First grade students also earn Parade of Reader shirts and prizes for every milestone they reach and wear the shirts each Friday. Hampton Cove’s fantastic parent volunteers hang student chains each day under each student’s picture, and some are even hung from the ceiling! At the conclusion of the program, the number of books/chapters read by each student is announced and the program ends with a huge celebration of a fun day or field trip.
