Amazing Reading Race Information

Purpose:

• To motivate students to increase independent reading.

• To increase awareness of the importance of reading and the FVSD reading initiative.

Participants:

• All FVSD students from ECS to Grade 12.

Goal:

• To tabulate the total number of books read by students in each grade for each school and the combined total number of books read by all students in the school division.

Challenges:

• Schools develop goals and challenges for their school.  For example, schools might set goals for each student, have a class to class or grade to grade competition, or challenge other schools or grades.

• At least one jurisidictional challenge / contest is hosted each year.

Promotion:

• Posters are supplied for each classroom in the division.  Larger posters are supplied for display in hallways and / or libraries.

• Monthly updates are inserted on hallway monitors at each school in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

• Display posters with monthly updates are posted in each school.

• The Amazing Reading Race is part of the FVSD literacy plan titled Reading Well and is outlined in this plan.

• Media is contacted for promotion of the Amazing Reading Race.

Celebration:

• Celebrations are hosted by schools as they reach goals or milestones as established by schools.
• Celebrations consist of school wide activities, assemblies, prizes for participants, draw prizes, special events, etc.
• Monthly updates are provided for each school and posted prominently.

• Regular updates on total books read are provided to the school communities via media, the division website and school newsletters.

Tracking:

• Each book a student reads independently (aloud or silent) either at home or school, regardless of grade or length, is recorded.

• Books read for instruction (e.g. novel study, guided reading) do not qualify.

• Books read independently for home reading programs and other similar reading activities, such as AR and DEAR, qualify.

• Schools are provided with a sample tracking form that may be used for each class.  School totals are submitted electronically on a monthly basis.

Support:

• The Amazing Reading Race is maintained by the Director of Literacy.

 

Research that Supports Independent Reading:

 

The Relationship Among Time Spent Reading, Reading Acheivement and Vocabulary Acquisition of Fifth Graders Chart

 

"Students who read independently become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not (Krashen 1993; Cunningham and Stanovich 1991; Stanovich and Cunningham 1993)."

American Library Association. Independent Reading and School Achievement (2000)

 

"Literacy levels are not fixed during childhood; they are also influenced by factors later in life, particularly factors that affect how much an individual reads. Like muscles in the body, the more literacy is used, the stronger it becomes."

Canadian Education Association. Policy BRIEF. The Promise and Problem of Literacy for Canada: An Agenda for Action (2004).

 

"As children become fluent readers, they read increasingly challenging literature, both fiction and nonfiction, of greater complexity and difficulty. They read daily with partners, in groups, and independently at school and at home."

Reading Rockets. School Features That Support Effective Instruction. Texas Education Agency (1996).

 

"Students’ reading achievement has been shown to correlate with success in school and the amount of independent reading they do (Greaney 1980; Anderson, Fielding and Wilson 1988)."

American Library Association. Independent Reading and School Achievement (2000).

 

 

 

 

Amazing Reading Race Results RESULTS

Amazing Reading Race Frequently Asked Questions FAQ