By Tanner Kent

MANKATO — Walk into any Mankato Area elementary school, on any given day, and visitors are bound to see dozens of teaching methods.

Small-group work and intervention classes. Media labs and computer labs. Lessons in art, music and core disciplines. Curriculums tailored for English-language learners and individualized plans for special education students.

But, one critical skill lays the foundation for all others — and it doesn’t come as a surprise.

“Read, read, read,” said Cindy Amoroso, curriculum director for Mankato Area schools.

“Kids need to be read to and kids need to read on their own — that’s the bottom line of all the research.”

Hence the need for February I Love to Read Month. The national celebration represents a coordinated effort to improve the literacy skills of elementary-age students. The month focuses on getting kids to read outside of the classroom as well as making reading a fun, and consistent, part of a student’s day.

And, judging from February’s slate of activities in schools, that’s a message educators enthusiastically endorse.

“Reading is so vital to success,” said Eagle Lake Principal Ginnette Kearney, “no matter what students decide to do.”

Last week, Franklin Elementary hosted prolific Minnesota children’s author Ryan Jacobson. Eagle Lake is welcoming Debra Frasier — author of “On the Day you Were Born” — today.

At Washington Elementary, Principal Will Remmert has offered to wear a dress if his students reach 145,000 minutes of outside-the-classroom reading for the month.

At Hoover, the school started a year-long Book Buddy program where first- and fifth-graders get together and read to one another. Several schools have “Get Caught Reading” programs and many participate in the “400 Club” in which students are charged with reading 400 minutes outside of school.

“(These incentives) are valuable,” said Hoover teacher Andrea Hansen. “Students can never be reading too much.”

Amoroso said that in recent years, philosophies on reading curriculum have shifted to include books that are more engaging and relevant to students. Even so, she said, research suggests there is significant value in reading programs that develop positive attitudes and get students to interact with books outside class.

“They are one more way to get kids into books,” Amoroso said. “We look for every opportunity we can.”