School and Community Summer 2023

Growing Readers Minute by Minute BY JENN BALDWIN R esearch has proven that reading for 15-20 minutes daily not only enriches vocabulary, but also boosts mental health by relieving stress. It doesn’t matter what is read (book, magazine/ journal, newspaper, website, etc.) or the mode of reading (audio, digital, or print). Here are a few ideas to integrate more literacy into your students’ and your normal routine: Keep track of what you have read and want to read. Goodreads and Beanstack are just two different examples of websites that can help you log your reading. You can even make a yearly challenge for how many books/pages you read! Don’t forget that readingcircle.org has free, downloadable book logs available to help your students keep track of their reading. You can even recognize those students who meet their reading goal with a downloadable Reading Circle certificate, also available for free:

• Pre-K through 2nd graders may receive a certificate after reading 20 books. • 3rd through 6th graders may receive a certificate after reading 16 books. • 7th through 12th graders may receive a certificate after reading 14 books. • A lifetime certificate is available for students who have received a certificate for five or more years.

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