By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

Clanton Intermediate fifth-grade teacher Angela Tignor has received $1,000 from the Chilton Education Foundation to add nonfiction books to her classroom library.

“We took a poll to see what kind of books the kids were interested in,” Tignor said.

Tignor said her students were especially interested in historic figures and presidents that they would not learn about in the normal course of study.

Adding these books on people like George Washington and Amelia Earhart to the classroom library will help students increase their reading comprehension skills, while broadening their knowledge of history.

“They love to learn and be exposed to interesting topics,” Tignor said. “They need encouragement and options for relatable texts to read throughout the school year.”

Tignor said each of the books is also eligible for Accelerated Reader points. AR points are awarded when a student reads a qualifying book and passes the comprehension test on it.

At Clanton Intermediate School, high-scoring students are recognized with prizes at the end of the year, such as being principal for a day.

The grant will allow the purchase of 250 books. Tignor said she has ordered classroom sets of each book, so that each student could be reading the same book at the same time.

The sets have been ordered and should be in next week.

Tignor had received a Partners Enhancing Education in Chilton County grant several years ago and felt optimistic about her application this year.

“As much as we push reading in our county, I thought there was a good chance of receiving, if not full funding, at least partial funding,” Tignor said.

She did receive the full amount she requested.