The Summer Reading Challenge
A column by First Lady Linda Daugaard:
Now that it is starting to feel a little more like spring, students are looking forward to summer. The family vacations, camping trips, picnics and baseball games will soon begin and our children will get a well-deserved break from their studies.
One thing students should not take a break from, though, is reading. When I was a librarian, I came to realize just how crucial reading is to child development and learning. Children who read regularly tend to be better writers and speakers. Unfortunately, as a nation we haven’t been performing very well in reading. In 2017, only 47 percent of American students who took the ACT met the Reading Benchmark.
Knowing that nothing inspires like a little competition, I’m issuing a challenge to students across the state. I’m calling on schools to participate in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, which is a free, 18-week online reading program designed to help students turn the “summer slide” into a “summer leap.” Next school year, the Governor and I will visit the school that logs the most Scholastic summer reading minutes and present that school with the winning plaque.
The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge is open to students in all 50 states. To participate, students must be registered by a teacher, public librarian or community organization leader. Once registered, students can begin logging their summer reading minutes. Students can unlock digital rewards as they complete weekly reading challenges.
Last year, for the second year in a row, Castlewood Elementary School logged the most minutes in South Dakota. I hope Castlewood will compete again this year. I also hope many other schools will join the competition and give them a run for their money!
Summer reading is very important. Whether or not they participate in the Scholastic Summer Reading challenge, Dennis and I hope students across the state will find a good book to enjoy this summer. We’re looking forward to reading some new books too!
To learn more about the reading challenge, visit scholastic.com/summer/home/.
-30-