Book reports go digital at one North Texas elementary school, turning second-graders into podcasters

In one North Texas classroom, book reports sound a little different.

Instead of standing at the front of the room, students at Heritage Elementary in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD are stepping up to the microphone.

At just 7 and 8 years old, second-graders are the voices behind "Only Readers in the Building," a student-led podcast where they review their favorite books, from action-packed adventures to laugh-out-loud stories.

Twice a week, students trade their desks for the mic, diving into plots, characters and the moments that made them laugh.

The idea came from their teacher, Christi Cooper, who wanted to reimagine the traditional book report.

"Every year I try to think of something exciting for my students to do," Cooper said. "I wanted to do something beyond a traditional book report, something that incorporated technology and allowed us to share our ideas with other students, their families, and the broader school community."

And that's exactly what they're doing.

QR codes posted around the campus allow students and teachers to listen to each episode any time, turning a simple classroom project into a schoolwide experience.

"It's very cool, very fun, and you can show your parents!" student Ethan Hand said.

The podcast is about more than just books; Students are building confidence, practicing communication skills and learning how to bring their ideas to life.

"We are working on writing, speaking, following a script and producing something we can be proud of at the end," Cooper said.

And with each episode, the second-graders are proving that storytelling doesn't have an age limit, just a voice.