April is finally here, which means we’re already thinking about summer reading at Scholastic. When it comes to kids and reading behavior, studies show that one summer off can sometimes mean a whole school year of struggling in school. So join the movement to keep kids on track—the Scholastic Summer Challenge! We’re excited to announce that pre-registration officially opens for teachers today. That means teachers can bulk-register their class for the Summer Challenge and enter to win 50 brand-new books for their classroom library.

Here’s a little bit about the Scholastic Summer Challenge: Now in its sixth year, the Summer Challenge (which officially begins on May 1 and ends on August 31, 2012) invites kids to log the minutes they spend reading as they Read for the World Record. The 20 schools with the most minutes logged will receive recognition in the 2013 Scholastic Book of World Records.

There’s something for everyone!

• Kids can participate in weekly challenges, earn digital rewards, enter sweepstakes to win fabulous prizes, find great books to read, and more

• Teachers can track  students’ summer reading progress, download a handy classroom participation guide, book lists, and free reading resources

• Parents can sign up their kids and track their reading minutes online, get email updates on their child’s reading success, and discover summer reading tips, book ideas, and activities

A few awesome up-coming events we’re excited about:

The LIVE WordGirl Definition Competition kicks off the Summer Challenge on Tuesday, May 1st! This webcast engages students with vocabulary words through an entertaining and interactive game show format. Inspired by the educational objectives of the WordGirl television series that airs daily on PBS KIDSGO!, the WordGirl Definition Competition brings WordGirl into classrooms around the country. Teachers can register by April 26th to receive a Webcast Event Kit. (And if you haven’t met WordGirl, Scholastic’s Summer Reading Ambassador, learn more here.)

The Scholastic Reading Timer app launches! Starting in May, kids will be able to log their reading minutes on-the-go! Kids can set weekly reading goals,  log their reading minutes, and win virtual rewards, right in the palm of their hands. Parents can get involved as well, by using the Scholastic Reading Timer app to check their children’s reading progress in their weekly reports. They can also browse daily tips, articles and book lists.

Stay tuned for more information as we gear up for summer!