Thomaston-Upson County Schools continues to make literacy a top priority, with a strong focus on helping students build the foundational skills needed for lifelong success. Across the district, educators use a variety of instructional models and strategies to teach the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
This intentional focus on literacy has led to measurable improvements over the past several years, as students continue to strengthen their reading skills and academic achievement.
Over the past two weeks, students at Upson-Lee Primary School have had the unique opportunity to hear from two special guests who understand firsthand the life-changing power of reading.
The first guest was Malcolm Mitchell, former University of Georgia football standout and Super Bowl champion. Today, Mitchell serves as Georgia’s Reads Coach and travels across the state sharing his personal story and emphasizing the importance of literacy. His visit to Upson-Lee Primary was made possible through the Georgia Reads Community Award received by For the Love of Reading Inc., doing business as the Thomaston-Upson Literacy Alliance. The award was presented in recognition of The Book Bug’s literacy programs and the strong community support that continues to make those efforts possible. This partnership highlights the collective commitment in Thomaston-Upson to strengthening literacy and creating meaningful opportunities for students.
During his visit, second-grade students at Upson-Lee Primary had the opportunity to hear Mitchell speak about his journey with reading and how developing strong literacy skills helped shape his future. He also read his book, Hey Georgia, to students. To make the experience even more meaningful, every student at Upson-Lee Primary received a copy of the book to take home.
The district’s literacy initiative continued with another special guest, Coy Bowles. While many know Bowles as a member of the Zac Brown Band and for the band’s many hit songs, students also learned that Bowles is a successful children’s author, with eight published books. What made his visit even more special is that Bowles once sat in the same classrooms and walked the same halls as the students he was speaking to, making his message even more relatable and inspiring.
Over two days, Bowles met with students, read to them, and shared his own story, showing them that reading is not only important but also fun. He encouraged students to understand that through reading, they can explore and learn about anything they can imagine. Once again, students were able to take home one of Bowles’ books, provided by the district.
Research consistently shows that children who grow up in homes with books demonstrate significantly higher literacy, numeracy, and overall academic success. Thomaston-Upson Schools understands the importance of making books accessible to students and families. Through these two special opportunities, the district has been able to place two books directly into the hands of every primary school student—helping build home libraries and encouraging a love of reading beyond the classroom.
By combining strong classroom instruction with meaningful literacy experiences and strong community partnerships, Thomaston-Upson Schools remains committed to strengthening reading skills and preparing students for success—because literacy is the foundation for everything that follows.