Give Me Twenty Reading Readiness Challenge for Pre-schoolers

Book It! shines a spotlight on establishing a reading routine for young readers and families by issuing the Give Me Twenty Challenge each spring and fall.

The goal of the challenge is to build reading-readiness skills and develop an at-home reading routine over an eight-week period.

The Give Me Twenty challenge is open to anyone who has a preschooler.

Parents can do this with their own children or it can be done in classrooms or child care facilities.

 

Click to Enlarge

How does it work?

1. Read to your child(ren) for at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week during the 8 weeks of the challenge.

2. Keep track of how much reading is completed. You may use the reading activities included in the challenge.

3. Prizes! When you complete the challenge you can enter to win prize packages.

READY TO GET STARTED?

Here’s the link for the information you need to register and get started:
Spring Give Me Twenty Challenge

 

The Kissing Hand, written by Audrey Penn is the featured partner for the Book It! Spring Give Me Twenty Reading Challenge.

Reading Incentive Programs UPDATE: Kwik, Wet, and Wild

I get a lot of questions about Reading Incentives for homeschoolers in Wisconsin, so here’s the current news on KWIK BOOKS and NOAH’S ARK DIVE INTO READING and Six Flags READ TO SUCCEED!!!

In Wisconsin, “Quick” is spelled “Kwik”…

Kwik Trip, Incorporated sponsors a Student Reading Incentive Program called “Kwik Books” for preschool through 6^th grade students.  Homeschooled students are eligible to participate in the Kwik Books Program through our Southwest Wisconsin Homeschool Group Enrollment. Each child meeting the  monthly reading goal is rewarded – by the homeschool parent/teacher, with a certificate for a FREE slice of Cheese Mountain Pizza, available at any Kwik Trip or Kwik Star store.  The reading goal for our group enrollment is for each child to read (or be read to) a minimum of two extra hours (i.e., not part of daily schoolwork) during the month. The program runs from September 2012 through May 2013.  You may sign-up at any time during the year.
** Sign-up for the 2013-14 School Year.**

Here’s what you need to do to participate in Kwik Books as a homeschooler through the Southwest Wisconsin Homeschool Group Enrollment:
1) Send an email to swischomeschools@gmail.com — Specify the months in which you will participate in the program and include the names and ages/grades of your child(ren) participating in the program, your contact information (address/phone), and your homeschool group (if any).
2) You will receive a confirmation email with further instructions.
3) You will need to mail a stamped self-addressed business-size envelope – one for each child participating. Your certificates will be mailed back to you as soon as possible in the envelopes that you provide.
Smile and say yay, pizza for reading!

In Wisconsin, we have the Dells — a.k.a., the Water Park Capital of the World — and we have the country’s largest outdoor waterpark, Noah’s Ark… 

** Noah’s Ark Waterpark discontinued their reading incentive program in 2012.**

Noah’s Ark Water Park in Wisconsin Dells has been sponsoring their annual “Dive Into Reading Program” for grades K – 6  for quite a few years.

For 2012-13 we’ve been told that Noah’s Ark Waterpark is in the process of developing a new Student Rewards Program to take the place of Dive Into Reading.  Officially all they’ve stated is that “it will be a different sort of program” and they will release any details in mid-October 2012.

As long as you’re here, why not sign up for updates? Look for the link near the top right-hand side of this page to sign up. Then you’ll know what I know, when I know it!

As of 10/27/12, we are still waiting for information from the Noah’s Ark Reading Program Coordinator as to the details for this year. They’ve said it will be completely NEW!  Stay tuned for more information on registration in Southwest Wisconsin Homeschool Group Enrollment in the new Noah’s Ark Waterpark Student Reading Rewards Program.

UPDATE November 20, 2012:

In order to reduce the administrative burden for both teachers and park staff, Noah’s Ark will continue to support scholarships in our schools with our very popular “a Days” while eliminating the reading program.

The “A Days” program admits any student with an “A” (or highest grade available on their report card) for free on one of the designated “A Days!”   “A Days dates from the 2013 season will be determined and released on June 1st.   Please call our office at 608-254-6351 on June 1st or after to obtain the dates.

Thank you for your participation and we hope to see you this summer.

Sincerely,
Noah’s Ark

Not much else I can say about that, except major disappointment, huh?
Oh well, at least they will still have “A” Days.  (And there’s a water park option at Six Flags!!!)

In south Wisconsin, we are near Six Flags Great America, north of Chicago in Gurnee Illinois…

Here’s the latest on Six Flags Read To Succeed: 

Every year Six Flags Theme Parks offers an exciting opportunity for your K-6th grade children to earn free theme park pass for reading.

Go to Six Flags Read to Succeed. Create a new account for your family. Choose the homeschool option and tell them how many children you’re homeschooling, which grades, etc. Not only will your homeschool children receive a free theme park pass, but one homeschool parent/teacher receives a free pass as well!  You’ll find when you register that there are several Six Flag locations across the country. After you register you’ll receive emails from Read to Succeed with further information on how to complete the program and turn in reading information.

Click the Reading Incentive Program page here, for the complete run-down on these and other free programs.

###

FREE Admission to Six Flags for Homeschool Students AND Teacher!

If you’re a Home School Educator  (located within 250 miles of a participating Six Flags Park), both you… and your kids Grades K – 6 can each score a FREE Ticket to Six Flags when they complete 6 hours of recreational reading!

Read To Succeed - Discovery Education

The deadline to submit your registration for tickets is March 1, 2012 at 5pm Eastern Standard Time.

Reading logs must be completed and mailed to Six Flags by March 9th, 2012.

Here’s the original post with all the information.

SixFlagsReadToSucceed2011-12Reading Log

Six Flags Read To Succeed Homeschool Edition

For 2014-15 update click here

Reward Reading with Six Flags Tickets!

K-6 students who complete six hours of recreational reading can earn a free Six Flags ticket. Best of all, teachers win too!

The 2011-2012 program is now open! Read to Succeed is a free educational program from Six Flags and Discovery Education that inspires K-6 students to engage in recreational reading.  Students who complete six hours of recreational, non-school-related reading are eligible to earn a free admission ticket to a participating Six Flags theme park.

Six Flags and Discovery Education are excited to announce the launch of Read to Succeed 2011-2012. 

All homeschool students in Grades Kindergarten through 6th, within 250 miles of a participating Six Flags theme park are eligible to participate.  And the neat part about this one, is that one homeschool parent/teacher gets a free ticket, too!

When you go to their online registration page, there is an immediate  pop-up screen that asks if you are a Homeschool.   By clicking “yes” you go straight into their online registration screen.  You will need to provide your full name, address, phone number, email, and your children’s names and grades, choose a password and verify to abide by their homeschool terms and conditions.

They have a free webinar on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 7pm EST to share what’s new this year and answer any questions you may have.   The webinar will be archived to look at later.

The deadline for registering is March 1st and for completion March 9th, 2012.

Please mail all completed reading logs to Six Flags, Attn: Read to Succeed, 924 Avenue J East, Grand Prairie, TX 75050 by March 9, 2012.

SixFlagsReadToSucceed2011-12Reading Log

If you participated last year, you should have received an email from Discovery Education about the Six Flags Read To Succeed Program for this year.

ForHomeschools

The 2011-2012 Read to Succeed program has new and exciting changes this year! Homeschools should use this page to access all of their Read to Succeed information, including program information and updates, and registration/submission instructions.

Step-by-Step Guides

Registration Guide
DOWNLOAD NOW

Submission Instructions
DOWNLOAD NOW

SixFlagsReadToSucceed2011-12Reading Log

Homeschool FAQ

Click here to check out what’s new, what’s changed, and answers to the most frequently asked questions for this year’s Read to Succeed program.

Register for Read to Succeed

Homeschool teachers can now register for the 2011-2012 Read to Succeed program! This year, every homeschool teacher must register as an individual family, even if you participated in the program previously as a homeschool co-op, organization or group. All homeschool teachers must register in order to participate in the program.  Register Today

VERY IMPORTANT: When you register, you must verify that you have read the read the Six Flags Read to Succeed homeschool terms and conditions.

Homeschools Terms and Conditions

“By submitting my registration, I verify that I operate a legitimate homeschool whose students will be participating in the Read to Succeed program by each completing six hours of recreational reading. I understand and agree that Six Flags and/or Discovery Education have the right to remove me and my students from the program in their sole discretion if they reasonably believe the foregoing verification is not accurate or if I or my students do not otherwise comply with any application requirements for participation in the Read to Succeed program.

Only one homeschool per mailing address is allowed. Homeschools will not be eligible for a coordinator ticket. Each homeschool is eligible for one teacher ticket only.

NOTE: This checkbox must be checked for a homeschool to successfully register for this program.”

Read to Succeed is hosting a free webinar on Thursday, October 27 at 7pm EST to share what’s new this year and answer any questions you may have.  The webinar will be archived on the Read to Succeed website if you would like to refer to it later. Register for the webinar now.

SixFlagsReadToSucceed2011-12Reading Log

The deadline for registering is March 1st and for completion March 9th, 2012.

Please mail all completed reading logs to Six Flags, Attn: Read to Succeed, 924 Avenue J East, Grand Prairie, TX 75050 by March 9, 2012.

SixFlagsReadToSucceed2011-12Reading Log

For 2012 / 2013 Update click here

Ready, Set, Read…

Dive Into Reading with Noah’s Ark Waterpark

Southwest Wisconsin Community of Homeschools has enrolled in the Dive Into Reading Program (for K-6th grade students) and will coordinate a group entry for homeschool participation.   (See this POST for the dates and goals.)

We will be starting next week.
If you haven’t gotten in on this already, you still have a chance…

Send an email to swischomeschools@gmail.com with the following details: your name and contact information, names and grades of your participating children (K through 6th grade), your city or town, and the name of your local homeschool group if any.

You will receive an email to confirm your participation.

Make sure that you have received the confirmation, if you have not received an email from SWISC you may not have been registered for the program.

(See this POST for the dates and goals.)

Dive Into Reading with Noah’s Ark Waterpark

To promote good reading habits, develop comprehension skills, and encourage reading for fun, Noah’s Ark Waterpark is again offering their Dive Into Reading Program for grade levels K through 6th for the 2011-2012 school year.

The program is available to schools, homeschool groups or individual family homeschools.

Southwest Wisconsin Community of Homeschools has enrolled in the Dive Into Reading Program and will coordinate a group entry for homeschool participation.  Homeschool students in this group entry will be working on a minimum reading goal of 60 minutes each week (or a minimum total of 9 hours) from October 2nd through December 3rd, 2011.  The reward for each child who successfully completes the reading goal is one free All-Day Unlimited Use Pass ticket to Noah’s Ark Waterpark for their use between May 26th and July 20th, 2012.

In order to participate in our homeschool group entry, please send an email to swischomeschools@gmail.com.  Include the following details: your name and contact information, names and grades of your participating children (K through 6th grade), your city or town, and the name of your local homeschool group (if you have one).  You will receive an email to confirm your participation.

If you would like information on enrolling your school, homeschool group, or individual family homeschool, please contact Noah’s Ark Waterpark.

For information on other reading incentives check our page here.

Kwik Trip “Kwik Books” Reading Incentive

To help promote reading Kwik Trip, Incorporated has created their Kwik Books program.

 

Click here for 2013/2014 details

This is a free reading incentive program sponsored by Kwik Trip, started in 2010.  Each student completing the reading goal for the month gets a FREE slice of Cheese Mountain Pizza from any Kwik Trip store in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. (Availability may vary by location.)

It’s pretty simple:

This is for children from preschool through 6^th grade, so younger children can be read to and of course older ones do the reading on their own.

The program runs from September through May.

 

You’ll need to sign-up each year.  2013/2014 details

Homeschool Groups and Schools are eligible to participate.  You can get the information on how to have your group or school participate by contacting Kwik Trip, Incorporated Corporate offices in La Crosse WI.

Individual homeschool families in southwest Wisconsin may participate in the Kwik Trip Kwik Books Reading Program through Southwest Wisconsin Community of Homeschools.  

Our Southwest Wisconsin Homeschools group reading goal is a minimum of two hours per month of non-school related reading. Since you know your child’s capabilities, you can use this goal as a starting point — and then personalize it to stretch and encourage your kids to read more.

When you sign up for Kwik Trip’s Kwik Books Program with the Southwest Wisconsin Homeschool Community , you will receive the Kwik Books certificates that you use to reward your child when he or she meets the monthly reading goal.

Here’s what you do:

1. Email swischomeschools@gmail.com to say that you’re interested in participating and let me know your name, address, and phone number, how many of your (preschool through 6th grade) homeschooled children will be participating , and the name of your local homeschool group if any. 
2. You’ll get a confirmation email with an address to mail your name, your child(ren)s names and grades  – with a self-addressed stamped business-size envelope for each child.  You will receive all the certificates for the entire year for each student in the envelope that you send in.
3. Keep track of the number of hours of student reading.  Keeping track is a key element so that you know that the goal has been met.

What I’ve found works for my kids, is to keep a simple chart to focus on the goal’s measurement and accountability.  Sometimes this is just a sheet of paper with handwritten notes of the date, time spent, and the reading material. For the littler ones that are being read to, you’ll have to keep track for them, but students reading on their own – are able to fill in the data on their own, creating additional responsibility and independence.  A bonus is that the reading logs become a book reference which can help with overall record keeping.

• When the month’s reading goal (minimum 2 hours per month) is completed, fill out the certificate and take your child to a Kwik Trip to get the free slice of pizza.
• The responsibility is on you as the parent /homeschool teacher to verify that the goal has been achieved.
• Students may redeem their certificates up to one month after the date issued.
• Kwik Trip is sponsoring this program as an award for children who have met their reading goals.  Please use only one certificate per child per month.
• You can sign up at any time during the school year to participate in Kwik Books through Southwest Wisconsin Homeschools.
• Just email swischomeschools@gmail.com and as long as I still have a supply of Kwik Books certificates you can still participate.

Yay, pizza for reading!

UPDATE: 2012/2013 details   2013/2014 details

Check the Reading Incentive Page for other programs.

If you are looking for information on having your school or homeschool group participate in the Kwik Books Reading Program, you should contact Kwik Trip’s Corporate Office in La Crosse.

Kwik Trip Inc Kwik Books 2011 signup letter CLICK the image to DOWNLOAD

Here’s the pdf with the information to sign up your school or homeschool group.