Students at Austin Road and Fulmar Road elementary schools kept their love of reading going over winter break by participating in the Winter Recess Reading Challenge, coordinated by library media specialist Rosemarie Sfikas.
Open to all students in grades K-5, the challenge encouraged consistent reading in a fun and creative way. Students in kindergarten through second grade were challenged to read for 10-15 minutes per activity, while students in grades three through five were asked to read for 20-30 minutes. Each participant completed up to 12 themed activities designed to make reading both festive and enjoyable.
The activities included reading while enjoying hot cocoa, wearing a favorite holiday sweater or cozy socks, reading to a stuffed animal or curling up inside a blanket fort. Sfikas introduced the challenge to students during library class in the week leading up to winter break, building excitement and helping students understand how to participate.
When students returned to school in January, completed reading logs were collected and all participants received a small prize in recognition of their efforts. In addition, six participating students at each school were randomly selected to receive goodie bags.
The Winter Recess Reading Challenge continues to be a successful way to encourage literacy while allowing students to enjoy reading in creative and meaningful ways during school breaks.
