Miles Elementary organized a successful school-wide reading challenge to engage students in literacy and unite the school toward a common goal.

Modeled after the nationwide Read Bowl, in Miles’ version, students received a weekly reading log to track the minutes they read, were read to, or listened to an audiobook each day. They turned their logs in each Monday, and the school tracked individual and classroom totals.

Each week, two classrooms (one for K-2 and one for 3-5) won a prize – such as extra recess, STEM centers, or activities in the gym – for having the highest total minutes read. The weekly Individual students were also drawn as winners throughout the week to choose a small prize.

The competition concluded with a school-wide assembly, where a student from each class was recognized as the classroom winner for completing the most minutes were awarded a trophy and gift card, and the overall class winners were awarded a pizza party. 

“Our goal with the challenge was to get kids excited and motivated about reading,” said Mrs. Reena Connelly, Miles’ principal. “We wanted them to have individual and group accountability to work together, which is why we set up individual and class prizes. Throughout the challenge, students and families were sharing about how much they were reading. We even had some students face-timing each other to read together in the evenings.”

Congrats to all participants for creating a community of growth in literacy culture at Miles!