MSU Patterson Scholars implement Personal Reading Stylist outreach initiative in local schools
Contact: Bethany Shipp
STARKVILLE, Miss.—James Patterson Teacher Education Scholars in Mississippi State’s College of Education are partnering with a local elementary school to implement a personalized literacy outreach initiative.
Under the direction of Kristin Javorsky, Susan McLaren Brooks Endowed Professor of Elementary Education, the Patterson Scholars are working with 13 students at Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District’s Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School this fall.
“We want every child to experience the excitement of finding a book that feels like it was chosen just for them,” said Javorsky, who also serves as Patterson Scholars advisor. “When future teachers learn how to listen to students, understand their interests and connect them with meaningful reading experiences, they are developing skills that will serve them throughout their careers. At the same time, we are helping young readers build positive reading identities that can last a lifetime.”
The Personal Reading Stylist program connects research-informed principles of reading motivation with authentic, relationship-driven teaching practice. As reading stylists, each MSU Patterson Scholar works one-on-one with third grade students to learn about their interests and reading habits and then carefully selects a book specifically for each student. By focusing on choice and relevance, the initiative promotes positive student-reader identities while preparing future teachers.
Kinsley Brennan, senior elementary education major from Marietta, Georgia, said the project is an “incredible opportunity to share our love of reading with students.”
“Reading is so impactful when you find a book you love and connect with. It is a privilege to help students discover the excitement that comes with finding that book,” she added.
The initiative was launched this spring, serving 31 students at SOCSD’s Partnership Middle School. Meaghan Shuffield, a sixth-grade gifted education teacher and seventh-grade makerspace teacher at PMS, described it as a fun experience and said she even had students on a waiting list to get styled.
“The program is such a creative and personal way to encourage reading while honoring each student’s individual reading level and interests. My students absolutely loved having their own student stylist work with them one-on-one, and the excitement they felt receiving a brand-new book chosen just for them was truly special,” Shuffield said.
The James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarship is housed in the university’s College of Education and funded through the Patterson Family Foundation by The New York Times bestselling author and his wife. Since its first class of scholars in 2015, the scholarship has grown from eight inaugural scholars to 16 scholars.
To receive a Patterson Scholarship, candidates must be entering freshmen majoring in elementary or secondary education with a minimum 3.0 GPA and an expressed interest in the English language arts.
MSU’s College of Education is home to five academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units.
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