Meredith Alexander

Alexander’s winning project, “Read and Ride,” incorporates literature and fitness to create a new and exciting way for students to learn. The “Read and Ride” classroom engages students in reading while riding stationary bikes. The classroom would be used for centers, accelerated reader time or as a reward. Alexander hopes the project will motivate students to read and stay active physically. In addition to reading and riding, students will also solve math problems and learn about healthy living habits. The project aims to increase student reading and comprehension scores as well as help them improve their focus and physical fitness. As a benchmark, studies at another school showed that when students attended the “Read and Ride” room for 20 minutes three times per week, they had an average increase in test scores of 113 points of growth and an overall reading proficiency of 61 percent. Alexander, who resides in Cherryville, hopes her students will increase their exposure to daily, healthy living activities.