Library Reading Challenge - Spring 2023

Overview: A fundraiser to provide 6-8th grade students with small prizes for meeting and expanding their reading goals.

My name is Terri or as my students call me, Ms. T, and I am proud to be an Assistant Librarian at Illahee Middle School in Federal Way, WA. This school year, I challenged my students to increase the number and diversity of books they read. I've developed a point system and monthly rewards to incentify and encourage scholars to meet this challenge.

Our reading challenge has been in place since September 2022. During this time, we've seen a 5% increase in book check-outs. That's over 200 additional books in scholars' hands. More importantly, some of our previously low-literacy level students are now our highest-achieving readers. This program has encouraged students to explore new genres, characters, and formats. It has opened up a world of stories for students who do not typically see themselves as "readers". We are so proud of the progress our scholars have made in such a short time!

Illahee Middle School serves 650+ students between 11-13 years old. We are a high-needs school with over 65% of students on free or reduced lunch. More than 100 languages are spoken in our school district and 75% of our students identify as an ethnicity other than white, making us the 2nd most diverse district in the state of Washington. We have worked hard to ensure that our Library collection reflects the diversity of experiences our scholars face.

Due to budget restrictions, we cannot use state-issued funds to provide incentives or prizes for our students. Reading incentives have been chosen with student input and include books, gift cards, art supplies, stuffed animals, and clothing items. With your help, I'm aiming to raise $1,000 to fund these prizes throughout the end of the school year and throw an end-of-the-year party for our star readers.

Thank you and happy reading!