By Paul Condello
I avidly recall a second-grade class that would excitedly huddle around my rocking chair for story time. Students scrambled around sliding chairs to the carpet where I read heartwarming and sometimes zany tales. They reminded me that story time was counted among the most meaningful and cherished moments of a child’s day.
Story time is a child’s portal into endless worlds, kingdoms, and dimensions. Children learn by, grow from, and discover the ways of the world through the literature a teacher brings into the classroom. Because story time is both a vital and valued experience in a young child’s day, educators are called to wisely deliberate over the literature they read to their students.
Paul Condello is a K–8 certified public school teacher based in the United States.

