Purpose: The purpose of the Lower School Reading Challenge is to promote a love of reading good books. It is an investment in the habits and affections we want to see prevail in our school.
Overview: Students start the school year at their designated reading level with book list that specifies point values for each book. Books with more classical Christian value are worth more points to steer students towards selecting those books.
Students read to earn 1) stickers for their reading challenge button and 2) points to be redeemed at the end of the year for bookstore giftcards.
To earn stickers and points, students must:
- Read the entire book (Alpha and Beta must read their books aloud)
- Complete and submit to their teacher a Book Review signed by a parent. Parents may write the students’ words for the student to copy onto the Book Review form for grades K-2.
Button: After submitting their first Book Review, students are given a reading challenge button.
Stickers: After obtaining the required number of points for a level, students are awarded the corresponding sticker for the reading challenge button.
Points: Students may also accrue points for books to be redeemed for a bookstore gift card at the end of the school year. Students may not earn points for more than two levels below their starting level for the year. Books read over the summer also count for the challenge as long as they are on the reading list and a book review is submitted. Students are responsible for keeping track of their own progress. A tracking sheet is available for student use.
Submissions: Book Review forms are submitted to the library inbox. A points keeper (volunteer parent) gives a pass/fail for neatness, spelling, punctuation, and coherency (encourage students to have their forms edited in advance). Students may submit a Book Pass from their teacher for completed book presentations/reports. The points keeper will mark completed books in the Reading Challenge Points Spreadsheet as students submit Book Review forms.
Points System: The points system considers the number of books students read on average each school year. Students will need to read more than average in order to complete a level before the end of a school year. For Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, reading 30 books per year is average (half or one book every week). Alpha-Delta need 600 points to complete a level (one or two books per week). For Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, and Theta, reading 15 books per year is average (one book every 2-3 weeks). Epsilon-Theta need 300 points to complete a level.
FAQs
How do students receive points for the reading challenge? Students must submit a book review or book pass to the library reading challenge box.
Can students receive reading challenge points for books not on their reading level? Yes, students may submit a book review for two levels below their grade level and higher. For example, the reading level for 3rd grade is Epsilon, so 3rd grade students can submit book reviews for Gamma and higher.
How many points are needed to get a button sticker and gift card? Alpha-Delta need 600 points; Epsilon-Theta need 300 points.
What is a book pass? A book pass is for students in grades 3-6 who have completed a lengthier required book report for that book and wish to submit it for reading challenge points.
What does my child have to do to move up a reading level? Students may read books from any reading level at any time, however, their required assignments are tied to their grade level.
My child can already read, why do they need to fill out busywork forms? First, reading is more than sounding out words on a page. We want students to grow in their ability to retell stories, to collect good words and ideas, and to contemplate what they have read to ultimately be wiser. Reading is for wisdom, not merely pleasure. Second, writing is an important part of the reading process which is why our curriculum is aptly titled, “The Writing Road to Reading.”
How can I view my child’s reading challenge points? At this time, we do not have a method for viewing points. Students need to keep track of their own points and books read. A book list and tracker is provided.
Who is grading student assignments? Teachers grade all required assignments. Volunteers grade the reading challenge submissions.
How can I help my child with the Book Reviews? Parents may write out the child’s thoughts on a separate piece of paper for the child to copy onto their form. This is appropriate for grades K-2. Correcting for spelling is encouraged across the grades.