40 Book Challenge

Yes, I know my blog title is "Stepping into Science", but I also happen to teach English Language Arts and Reading to my group of fifth grad homeroom students. I also am a firm believer that good reading instruction should happen across the curriculum, not just within a specific discipline.

During my sophomore practicum in college, I observed my own 4th grade teacher. During that time, I noticed that she challenged her students to read 40 books during the school year. Last year, during my first year of teaching, I contacted my teacher, Ms. B, and asked her if she could send me her resources for it. She directed me to Donna Miller, the creator of this wonderful idea. Miller's idea is to challenge students to read outside their comfort zone and experience new books.

My students really took the challenge to a whole new level last year. One student alone read 160 books in the school year. This year, my students are also getting excited about this challenge. I changed my genres from last year, and really tried to include a little bit of everything. I have already heard wonderful things from my students' parents about the challenge. I hope this year will be as successful as last year.

Here are the requirements for the 2015-2016 Challenge:

40 Book Challenge Genre Breakdown

·         Mythology- 2

·         Poetry- 2

·         Biography or Autobiography-2

·         Historical Fiction-2

·         Realistic Fiction-2

·         Informational Text-4

·         Mystery-2

·         Graphic Novel-6

·         Science Fiction-2

·         Newberry Honor or Newberry Winner-2

·         Free Choice Chapter Book-12

·         Traditional Literature/Classic-2

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