Students in one Massachusetts community are reading and riding bikes as a way to make reading fun and engaging.
In Taunton, Parker Middle School Librarian Ina Collins came up with the idea to inspire students to read.
"They can get on a bike and they can read," Collins said. "I thought maybe for the kids who couldn't sit still, it would be great for those kids."
It's proving to be great for all students, including sixth-grader Thomas Hunt, who has autism.
"Being autistic is hard to multitask, you know? That's how it is," said Hunt, who added that the bikes are helping make that easier.
Collins, who loves to read, feels accomplishment in inspiring others to pick up a book.
"It makes me feel wonderful to see these kids reading and being excited about reading," she said.
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She says the school rotates classes to the library every six days, but now students are begging to visit daily.
"I love reading books so this is just like the perfect library," said sixth-grader Isaiah Burgo. "It (reading) takes your mind on like a vacation."
The bikes are proving to be so successful that the district has added them in all middle schools and the high school.
"I'm raising future readers," Collins. "It will be my legacy."
