Tuesday Tidbits: Reading Challenge and Returning Library Books
Yearlong Reading Challenge
This year I encouraged students to keep track of their reading hours. The challenge: read 3500 hours during the year. And if they did reach goal? Then what? The winning classroom could dress me up as a character of their choice.
This year the school recorded 2650 hours of reading. Just shy of the goal. (No dress-up for me.) Three classes recorded over 100 hours, two classes recorded over 200 hours and three classes recorded over 300 hours. Among those three competition was fierce.
It is interesting to see how individual teachers approach this challenge. Some with real vigor and encouragement. Others not so much. Some tie it in with their classroom reading time recording. Others let students take responsibility.
Funny how what looks great on paper doesn’t necessarily translate into practical application. I get lost in the minutia of writing out individual stars for students who read a certain amount of hours. I stopped the idea of building a Lego castle based on hours years ago.
I noticed, however, that students would track their hours just because. And isn’t that my ultimate goal? Yesterday when I announced that the winning three classrooms would get popsicles for their efforts, the response was amazing. One girl’s parents wrote that their daughter had to go to the dentist and hoped would not miss getting a popsicle. Another boy, a 5th grader, was so excited, his mother emailed the teacher wondering what she had to buy for the class not knowing that MsMac was purchasing. Sometimes it is the little things.
I donated $30.00 to the Humane Society as a way to acknowledge their effort. We have a “Read to the Dog” program. Lisa, a Humane Society volunteer and her dog, Chance come weekly and listen to kids read. As a thank you to them, we collect food and supplies for the Humane Society. I am thinking perhaps next year a donation to the Humane Society will be the ”prize” for the reading challenge.
Returning Library Books
Library books were due June 5. Yesterday I called almost 90 parents to remind their child that the book needed to be returned or the fine paid. Fifth grade will suffer the most if fines are not paid. Imagine next fall, excited to be a middle schoolers. Activities to participate in and then be told, “You have a library fine.” Some fifth graders do not beleive this news.
As I write this post, a fifth grader is in the library reading and finishhing the last thirty pages of his book. Another fifth grader told my assistant, “please come back, I have 10 pages left.” I guess there can be worst things in the world than getting a library book returned.
Then there are the students who do not have the financial means to pay for lost books. Today two brothers came in with four books from their home libraries. The books are slightly rag tagged but the pride in the two that they had taken responsibility: priceless.
That’s the lesson here, take responsibility. Do the right thing. Which is exactly what another fifth grader did; paid up on a fine from fourth grade. Last year her denied losing the book. This year he went with “I already paid.” (no record). In the end, he paid and announced to me that he had signed up for the summer reading program at his grandma’s library. Hooray!
Summer might be hit and miss with Tuesday Tidbits. Have a wonderful summer and read!
MsMac
