2009 Summer Reading Programs for Students
Gifted Readers Can Find Challenge from Scholastic and B&N
May 9, 2009
Maintaining strong reading skills can be tricky in the summer. Summer reading programs at public libraries are not especially differentiated because they are designed for a broad audience. Parents can keep gifted readers challenged by setting high standards and promoting two summer reading programs with big-name sponsors to promote reading at home.
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge Overview
Most students are familiar with Scholastic books; that is the company responsible for book fairs and the monthly book order form that kids bring home. Entering the Scholastic Program may seem unnecessarily complicated by directions, but going through the steps is worth it because kids get to join a community of readers and work toward goals (like helping set a world reading record) by reading daily.
How to Participate in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
Getting set up takes about 15 minutes, so be sure that the kids have enough time and that pop-ups from Scholastic are allowed.The quiz questions are not questions parents can answer for their kids (What do you think of when you see the word hippo?) so when kids are ready, follow these steps:
- Start at the Scholastic Summer Challenge STACKS site and register as a member (for free).
- Take a quiz that helps sort readers into teams.
- Become part of the team by voting on the mascot and exploring the team's page.
- Enter the minutes read daily.
- Check the leaderboard for virtual awards for reading.
Readers can add to their point score by taking quizzes and playing games related to the books. After gaining certain points, kids can use them for a "Smartycard" that works for Club Penguin, Webkinz, and Ripstick. There is also a bit of citizen philanthropy on the site because teams can use their points to support causes through Scholastic's "You Can Make a Difference" Summer Reading Challenge section.
The B&N Summer Reading Program Overview
Barnes and Nobel has a more youthful feel with their compressed name, B&N, attached to their 2009 summer reading program. They have enlisted the current rock star of children's literature, Rick Riordan, to help with the program. Riordan, of course, is the author of the wildly popular Percy Jackson series, and the series is the theme of the Barnes and Noble Summer reading program.
How to Participate in the Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program
Participation requires eight books and a printer to download the forms from the Barnes and Noble website. Parents should guide their children to read challenging, age-appropriate books, and B&N has built in some parent control by requiring that parents sign the reading journal form. Kids not only write the name of the books and the authors, but they write their favorite parts of the stories as well.
Parents and summer school teachers might be interested in the Summer Educator's Kit, which has fun summer activities that focus on:
- determining favorite authors and illustrators
- understanding the difference between fiction and non-fiction
- having fun with mythology
- writing a story
After kids have read eight books, they bring the signed reading form to a local Barnes and Noble store. The readers are offered a free book (from a B&N predetermined selection) and offered a chance to win a signed Rick Riordan book.
Once readers participate, parents should stay involved with book choices and discussions about books. This helps gifted readers develop the ability to communicate about abstractions in books. Through the Scholastic program, kids are rewarded for minutes read. Through the Barnes and Noble program, students are rewarded for meeting an eight book goal. Together, these programs can help keep kids reading all summer, and keep gifted kids challenged as they read all summer.
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