Reading Around the World Book Challenge---Does your school participate?

[ajrsmom]

For their reading party this year, my DS's school's theme was Harry Potter. The challenge was to see which 2 students in each grade could read the most books all year. This didnt include the 25 required for school during the year.


My son and another little girl won the awards for his kindergarten class!!!

We are so proud of him!!! Most importantly, He has found a love for reading.

He won a certificate and a bag of goodies that included a Harry Potter computer game, stickers, a coloring book, a pencil, a Harry Potter kite, a journal to keep track of the books that he reads over the summer--these books will go toward next years challenge. He has already set a goal of at least 100 books this summer!--and a bookmark that says when he reads 3 more books, he can take the stub to TExas Roadhouse for a free kids meal.


Does other school compete in challenges like this?

[Abear]

Comgratulations to your DS!!!

(sorry, forgot his name )

Our schools used to participate in a similar program where they got a coupon for a free Personal Pan Pizza & drink of choice from Pizza Hut. Anyone who read the required number of books got the coupon. No one got anything extra for reading above & beyond the required number.

I don't know why they no longer participate. I had forgotten about it until I read your post.

[ajrsmom]

Thanks for the congrats, Cindy! Ill let him know what you said.

BTW, I dont think Ive mentioned his name here much. His name is Andy.


Im trying to find a summer library reading program to get him involved in. It doesnt look like our local library will be having anything this year.

He has started toward his goal of 100 books already.....he started last night with book 1.

I lucked out and got about 40 new books for him today at various yard sales....all together, I spent about $5.00 on them. He just goes crazy for anything written by Mercer Mayer and we lucked out and found 2 new books today!

[Abear]

Originally posted by ajrsmom
He has started toward his goal of 100 books already.....he started last night with book 1.

I am thinking that he will be entering 1st grade in the fall. Does he read at that reading level? If so, by reading all of those books over the summer, he may be advanced by the time school starts again. At that age. most parents do not get their children to read over the summer. They do not realize the dis-service (sp??) they are doing to their children.

Since mine were in Kindergarten, they have to read daily during the summer. (Mom's rule) 30 minutes of serious reading is required before the can watch any t.v., play their Game Boys or PS 2, etc.....

[SweetContraryMry]

Since we are discussing summer reading I though I would pass along this great link I found. It has lots of the old classics divided by age groups. I will be using this one for my 3 kids this summer. http://hometown.aol.com/beeme1/bookstore.html

[ajrsmom]

Cindy, His teacher told me that he is reading at or above the 1st grade level most of the time. Im working with him right now to not only be able to read the big words, but to also understand what he is reading. Ive explained to him that once school is out, we will still read together but now he is going to take a book, read it by himself, tell me about it THEN we will read it together.

What do you do to ensure that your kids read for the 30 minutes? Do you reward them with anything other than being able to play their games....etc? Im thinking of making mini goals in which he could earn small things like renting a video, getting ice cream--going out instead of at the store.....


In the next few days, Im going to try to put together some sort of plan for his summer work. I think that Im going to try working with themes. I was thinking that we could start with zoo animals. He can learn about the different animals, he can write about them, we can use the library for books about them. Im sure I can add in math too. Then at the end, we can top it off with a trip to the zoo. I dont want him to feel like he is in school everyday.



SweetContraryMry, Thanks for the website. Im going to check it out right now.

In the box of books that I bought for DS today, I was surprised to see 4 books from my childhood. Two of them were "Golden" Christmas Stories.

[Abear]

Originally posted by ajrsmom
What do you do to ensure that your kids read for the 30 minutes? Do you reward them with anything other than being able to play their games....etc?

No extra rewards. They know that it is expected of them. Sort of their "job", a responsibility. They have never even questioned it or anything. Neither DS has ever said things like "Dylan's Mom doesn't make him read during the summer."

With DD being deaf in one ear. She always had extra assigments over the summer. She had a lot of problems in reading & language because of her hearing loss.

I guess the two DS never questioned it because they grew up watching DD work on her reading and language over the summer so that she could stay "at level".