Ideas for the Principal’s Challenge During National Young Readers Week

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Principals! Are you ready for a FUN challenge? This annual event, held the second week of November, is in conjunction with National Young Readers Week. It is sponsored by Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! program and the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

What is the challenge?

Principals pick one day during the second week of November and read from the first bell to the last on that day. Now here is where it gets interesting. You can read anywhere on your campus. In the hallway, classrooms, on the roof, camping out in front of your building (or in the back?), intercom read along, etc.! What a fantastic way to promote a love of reading and be an excellent example for your students.

Make it interesting and FUN!

I used to love dress-up days at school. You know, for example, dressing up during National Read Across America (Dr. Seuss’s birthday) week. PLUS, you know I’m all about injecting the FUN factor into events. Why not dress up and read books associated with your costume? The ideas are limitless!! Read Dr. Seuss’s books while in costume. Take a look at the book covers and you can get instant ideas on what to wear.

I read about a principal that dressed up in her gardening clothes and brought her gardening tools. And of course, she sat and read all the books that related to that topic. How creative! And what a wonderful way for the students to see their principal dressed up differently.

Elementary students are always interested in Marvel characters and there are plenty of books at all levels to read. Try dressing like Superman, Captain America, Spiderman, Batman or any caped crusader and read. The kids would love it!

You can pick individual books! Dress up as a famous character and display yourself reading that biography. Or, how about Cinderella, Stripes, or Fly Guy and read the book of the same title? Peruse your library and look at the individual books and I suspect you will glean lots of ideas.

Where do I read?

Here is where it can be simple…or really WILD. You can read anywhere! The Principal’s Challenge web site suggests reading in the hallways, playgrounds, or rooftops. I’ve searched the internet and found previous locations where principals were spotted on their chosen day. (You may pick any day during National Young Readers Week.)

• One principal read Charlotte’s Web on his tractor out in front of his school.
• Another principal set up a “campsite”. He read in front of a tent in his camping chair. (You could use a cooler to put your snacks and refreshments in for the day!)
• “Hunting for a Good Book” was a theme adopted by a principal who then dressed as a hunter and sat beside a fake fire. His librarian set him up with several non-fiction books on several different kinds of hunting.
• We’ve talked about dressing up as a superhero. One principal dressed up in a cape and then read atop a ladder in the school gym. The backboard on the basketball goal had a sign that read “SUPER READER”. (The ladder was about that height. Yikes!)

How do I sign up for the challenge?

Go online at the Principal’s Challenge to register. You’ll provide the name and address of your school, pick your day, and of course where you will be reading that day! Tag your pics of that day on social media with #YoungReaders so we can all see what you are up to!

National Young Readers Week (Including the Principal’s Challenge)

I’ve got you covered in my “Bizarre and FUN National Holidays” product line, too!

The file includes bookmarks, “I Love Reading” cards/tags, and cards to remind you to post with #YoungReaders for that week. Pass them out to students throughout the week…and even when you are reading on your particular day.

It also has these signs for you to choose from to remind students what you are doing (modeling reading) and to CLAP for you on your designated day!

Learn more about the details by clicking on the picture below. Above all…have FUN and happy READING!

Have you done the principal’s challenge or are you now planning to? What was your experience or what are you planning? Share your ideas with us, we would love to hear!

Lead joyfully,

Gail Boulton