A few years ago when I was the Assistant Principal here at Village Elementary, our school took first place world-wide in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. Each year, we have continued to do an outstanding job as a school community with our participation as our students have logged over one million minutes annually. What matters most, however, is that children are reading all summer long, and really all year long.
Given that the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge is a world-wide event, students can begin logging their minutes starting this Monday, May 9th. Our Library team along with classroom teachers will be working with students to get them going within the next few days and we will update our school community once all students are up and running.
In writing to you about reading, what matters most is the role all families can play in this every day. The benefits of reading are immense and much research exists on the subject. When kids are young, taking time each day to read to your child not only helps their language development and builds background knowledge, but it also can be a special time together as a family.
As children develop their own skills as readers, they are excited to show off for anyone that will listen. Making time for them to read to family while also still providing time to read to them is critical. Developing readers need the practice that comes with repetition. When they begin enjoying chapter books, it is that much more worthwhile to make time for the family read aloud. This allows for opportunities to explore more complex stories that allow for discussions about characters, themes, the plot, etc.
Thank you for reading as a family. Stay tuned for further updates regarding the Summer Reading Challenge in the weeks and months ahead. In the meantime, check out the video below for more information and be sure to talk with your child about it!
