We did Read Across America a few years back. There are programs and resources at their website www.nea.org/readacross/
We posted a large map in the quad with a bookworm to travel across it. For every minute read, it equaled one mile. The goal was to get across the map by Dr. Seuss's birthday. kids filled out reading logs and once they had one filled, they got a bag of "bookworms" (gummy worms) and started a new one.
On Dr. S's birthday, we had a Seuss party, cake and drinks, teachers brought they're favorite Dr S books and a small display of why or a memory with pictures. The kids brought their fave Dr S book to read, pillows and blankets for the floor.
We had the librarian dressed as the Cat in the Hat and reading in the "Story Corner" and we also had an activity table set up in the other corner with activities from the website.
It was a lot of fun.

Our school has a Super Reader Program for elementary students.

Students receive rewards for how many books they read. Every student receives a sheet with lines (5 for kindergarten, 10 grade 1, 15 grade 2, etc.) with columns - date read, book title, author (grade 2 & 3 only) and parents initial.

Regardless of how many books read the child can only record 1 book per day. Each time form was filled it is to be given to teacher. The teacher then keeps track of how many books the child has read. From the classrooms I saw the names of every student were at the bottom of a poster and above that was a grid - with the # of books (in increments of 5) written on left and right hand sides. Then for each time a block was done (slip was handed in for 5 books) a sticker was placed there. There were milestones for which children received prizes - 10 books, 25 books, 50 books, etc. For my son's grade 1 class last year - the teacher told me that few children (5 of the 23 kids) went above 50 and only 2 went about 75 books.

The prizes were minor - stickers, pencils, erasers - all dollar store items or such. Our PAC (Parents Advisory Council) (same as PTO in the US) budgets $100 for every teacher for class room incentives and an extra $50 per classroom if the teacher participates in Super Reader.

I, personally, have a challenge with this program only because we don't always read books at home - we read backs of cereal boxes, recipes, newspapers, magazines, internet articles, etc. Most of which I try to turn into a Teachable Moment. For example, with cereal carton - he reads the box and then we discuss the nutritional information, the selling aspect of what he's just read (ie: consumerism and marketing), gimmicks (buy 300 boxes and get 1 toothbrush), etc. Even things such as instructions for a board game we're playing - those can be quite confusing even for adults. Anyways I'm babbling. Needless to say my son didn't get more than 50 books but his reading is at a higher grade level then he's currently in (not his math but that's a different story).

This year the school is revamping the Super Reader program so that all classes are consistent and that it includes all 8 grades (K's and grades 1-7) as Improving Literacy is one of our school goals. The main change we are making is changing it from # of books to # of minutes. The children still have to write down what they've read but it's okay if it is the newspaper or Instructions from Clue Game, etc.

Hope this helps. I also have ideas that our school's Literacy committee has collected if anyone is interested in those. My email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thanks for letting me go on and on and on and on [img]smile.gif[/img]

Have you enrolled in the Pizza Hut Book-It program? It's a great program. They provide all the materials and the certificates for the free pizzas. It may be too late to enroll for this year, though.

I was trying to organize a read around the world in 80 days program. But got too busy and have not initiated it. But here's the concept. You place a world map somewhere and provide a token for each participant. When students have read for say 400 minutes you move the token to a different country and students get a prize. And for each 400 minutes read you give a prize. In 12 weeks you'd have 80 days (actually 84 days) and the contest is over. For students who make it around the world you give a grand prize. Hope this helps.

Our PTO is wanting to create a reading program with incentives along the way and a final "pay-off" at the end. We want it to run approx. 12 weeks. Our goal is to encourage reading and help raise test scores as well as have a fun program for the students. I am in need of any ideas on how to pull this off. We want to do a family reading night as our kick-off. Please help, I am desperate!