Teachers, get ready for summer reading!

Megan Kaesshaefer  //  Mar 17, 2016

Teachers, get ready for summer reading!

Think it's too early to start planning for summer reading? Think again! Pre-registration for the 2016 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge begins this coming Monday at 9am ET! This year, pre-registration starts earlier than ever because we want to give educators plenty of time to get students signed up and equipped with resources like book lists and reading logs. Whether you're brand new to the program or a returning user in need of a refresher, see below for what to expect this summer.

Don't forget to mark your calendar and visit scholastic.com/summer on Monday, March 21st at 9am ET to get started! 

Program overview:

  • The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge is a free online reading program dedicated to encouraging kids to read every day this summer. Studies show that when kids don’t read over the summer, they lose core reading skills and fall behind when they go back to school. This year’s Summer Reading Challenge focuses on the helping kids achieve the “Summer Leap” — the learning or reading skills gained during the summer months that help students prepare to tackle the upcoming school year.
  • Through the program you can easily: 
    • Register students for the Summer Reading Challenge (need help? Use these instructions.)
    • Track students’ reading progress throughout the summer
    • Email parents to let them know students are signed up for the Summer Reading Challenge
    • Check the interactive map to see how many minutes your school—and other schools—have read
    • Download summer reading book lists and printables

Program theme:

  • This year’s theme is “Be a Reading Superhero” and it’s all about believing in kids and encouraging them to be the best independent readers they can be. This summer, we want kids to read more books, log more reading minutes, earn rewards, and become a reading superhero! To help motivate kids to keep reading throughout the 18 weeks of the summer (May 9 – September 9), we are inviting 18 Scholastic authors to create their own personalized “How I Became a Reading Superhero" story to inspire kids to keep reading. Each week, kids can unlock a new story and discover fun facts about some of their favorite authors, enter sweepstakes, and win virtual prizes to reward them for their reading.

Prizes for your school:

  • Enter the Dav Pilkey Be a Reading Superhero Contest! From March 21 to April 11, K–8 educators can enter the new Dav Pilkey Be a Reading Superhero Contest for a chance to win a book for every student in your school! To enter, just tell us how you’re encouraging your kids to read over the summer!
  • Win a "Best in State" award! The schools that log the most minutes in every state in the U.S. will receive “Best in State” recognition and a Celebration in a Box and Reading Plaque for a school-wide reading celebration. Each winning school will also appear in the 2017 Scholastic Book of World Records.

Stay connected on social media:

  • Make sure you follow us on social media! (Here's our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube!) We'll be sharing program updates and free resources at #summerreading from now until September! 
  • Join chats with experts, authors, and teachers who will share success stories, tips, book recs and more.