I have wanted to host a reading challenge ever since I started blogging. After looking through so many challenges I was shocked that not a single one had to do with reading with children. So here you have the 2012- 3660 Minutes Reading Challenge.
What is the Challenge? To spend 10 minutes every single day reading to our children. Since this year is a leap year there are 366 days hence 3660 minutes. The goal is to promote reading, increase imagination, foster a love of words, bolster comprehension skills, and spend quality time with the children in our lives.
Who Can Participate? Anyone who is welcome to join at any time so long as you have a child/children you can share love of reading to. If you are pregnant you can read aloud to your unborn baby. If you are a grandparent you can phone/skype your grandchild to read. If you are a babysitter you can read to the children you babysit. If you have younger brothers or sisters you can read to them. If you are a librarian you can read to children in the library. If you are a teacher you can read to your students. You do not have to a blogger nor do you have to review the books you and your child read but it is encouraged.
What Counts? This is very open ended. Newspapers, magazines,books, ebooks, audio-books, comics, poems, plays, internet articles count. Also having children write their own stories, write in diaries, word problems, learning the lyrics to songs, learning ABC's, writing out letters etc. Also discussion of what you just read counts! So if you want to read for 5 minutes then discuss it- IT COUNTS! Art projects surrounding books you are reading/have read together counts! Letting your child read to you counts. If you feel that what you are doing helps a child learn to love words/letters then yes it counts.
What Does not Count? Homework! Books they HAVE to read for school do not count. The only exception to this rule is if it is extra credit books for school.
How Long Will it Run For? From January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012
Can I Skip a Day? The goal is to read every day but if you can't for some reason (ie you are a teacher and don't see your students on weekend) then you need to make up those minutes. At the end of the year you want to have in 3660 minutes of reading with children.
Can I Cheat/Lower the Goal? Well yes you can but really the person you are cheating is the children. Really who wants to do that?
Can I do More Than 10 Minutes a Day? YES!!! 10 minutes is the minimum but more than that is not only acceptable it is encouraged! It also helps bank up minutes for those days you are unable to read.
How Do I Check In? OK so let us admit it most of us are bad at checking in on these things. So I will try and post up on the 1st of every month a thread for us to update on. Tell us what you have been reading. Have you been successful? Give suggestions of books to read. Did you come up with a creative activity to get your children excited about it?
I'm a Blogger Do I Need to Post to my Blog? No you do not need to post to your blog but it is encouraged. It will also help during the monthly check ins if you want people to just read posts on what you have been doing with your children. While not required please put up an introductory post to help promote the challenge.
I'm Not a Blogger How do I Sign Up? You can simply leave a comment below and check in on the 1st of the month to let us know how you are doing.
7 comments:
So excited to be a part of your reading challenge. My son will love it too. He enjoys reading (for the most part, lol) and very much enjoys being read to. We have been going to the library for books to read (me to him and him to me) since he was a baby. He gets older, but still loves to be read to, especially before bed. So this is the perfect challenge for us. :)
Hi!
What an awesome idea for a reading challenge. I've posted at my place. Have a great day!
Sherrie
Just Books
I'm working on the Excellence in Reading Challenge over at Super Readers Book Club. It's the perfect compliment to the 3660 Minute Challenge.
Thanks for hosting this.
Sounds like great fun. I'm signing up to your challenge and just became a new follower. I've started a reading challenge involving children's books as well. Here is a link to my challenge Excellence In Reading
Looking forward to participating in this challenge. We read every night, but making it one of my official reading challenges will (hopefully) make me more diligent.
Love this challenge! I have my 3 kids, more so my 8 year old & my preschool class. This is going to be fun.
Not sure if I missed the update post or not, so thought I would just do a quick update here. :) Ok, so I have to admit I started the year right by reading 60 minutes to my son in 5 days.....however....I then seem to have fallen out of sync. With his homework and scouts starting back up and extra things happening at home with us, we haven't read since then together except for books for his homework. :( BUT...a new week is coming up, and we are vowing to start a book and read more! :)
Post a Comment