Pennypack Elementary School is Invested in Reading

HATBORO – Pennypack Elementary School teamed up with local Certified Public Accountants (CPA) on November 1 for the Invest in Reading presentation to 2nd and 3rd grade students.

Since some classes in Pennypack begin using money as a teaching tool in the classroom during these grade levels, Beverly Wisniewski, a librarian at the school, knew that the Invest in Reading program would be a welcome addition to the school.

The Invest in Reading program is a financial literacy initiative developed by the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), with the goal of teaching 2nd and 3rd graders about being financially savvy.  Along with reading to the students, presenters used learning activities, handouts, and flyers for children to take home to their parents.

 “Programs like these not only encourage an excitement in reading in our younger students, they also allow them to realize at an early age the value of money,” said Ms. Wisniewski.  “An early mind is an impressionable one, and we want to teach our students responsible habits in a fun environment so that the lesson sticks.”

According to Ms. Wisniewski, she reached out to PICPA after learning about the program from the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association in September.  Two local CPAs, Rosemary Wells and Maria T. Mecleary, read to students from popular library books, including “Bunny Money,” by Rosemary Wells, and “Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday,” by Judith Viorst, as a teaching method on making smart decisions about spending money.  Students also learned about how to distinguish between wants and needs, and about making a financial goal.