READING ACROSS BROWARD

  The Superintendent’s Reading Motivation Project

  Frequently Asked Questions

What is READING ACROSS BROWARD?

In an effort to motivate Broward students to incorporate reading into their daily lives and foster a lifelong habit of reading, the Superintendent’s Reading Motivation Project was instituted. This program is voluntary for schools and for students. We are pleased to announce that the BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY and the SUN-SENTINEL are Partners in Education to READING ACROSS BROWARD, supporting the program in its efforts to encourage children to read.

How does READING ACROSS BROWARD work?

Efforts of the READING ACROSS BROWARD program include a web site and other outreach products and events that aim to inspire Broward County’s youth to immerse themselves in reading. In addition, students who read and record titles of a specified number of minutes reading  between April 1st of one year and March 31st of the following year will receive special recognition.

What books must I read?

Elementary school students must read books and record the minutes read on the appropriate READING ACROSS BROWARD Recording Sheet.

How many books must I read?

The new form is based on the number of minute a student reads during the specified time frame (April 1st through March 31st) .  There are four different award levels, depending on the number of minutes read or listened to:

          Participation/Bronze Award                2000 minutes

          Silver Award                                         3500 minutes

          Gold Award                                           5500 minutes

          Superintendent's Award/Honor Roll   7000 mnutes

What else do I have to know?

• While it is preferred that students read at home and share literature with their families, teachers are also encouraged to read to their classes and record the books read. Such reading does count toward the students’ attainment of the award levels.

• Credit will only be given for reading a book and/or listening to a book read aloud in its entirety. Viewing television, film, or video adaptations of books are excellent complements to literature appreciation, but are not a substitute for reading the books and cannot be counted.

• Students are encouraged to discuss their books with a parent, guardian, or teacher.

• Book titles may be listed only once 

How do I verify that I read the books?

The Reading Record Form available at each school should be signed by a parent, guardian, or teacher before it is returned by April 1 to the school’s READING ACROSS BROWARD Coordinator. The signatures will serve as verification that the information provided is accurate.

When is my Reading Record Form due?

The deadline for return of the Reading Record Form is  MARCH 31. This early ending of each year’s program allows time for the Sun-Sentinel to print certificates for those participants who have earned them.

What do I get for participating?

The most important reward for reading is the satisfaction of entering the kingdom of books. Students meet people they might otherwise never know, visit places they might never see in person, and experience events they might never encounter. In addition, certificates will be awarded in June to all public school students who participate. A nation’s economic development, health and adult literacy are directly related to reading. In a 31-nation study of basic reading skills, students in the United States ranked near the top. According to Alan Purves, education professor at the State University of New York, “It’s not necessarily whether you’re richer, it’s whether the kids’ families have more books or not.”