Reading Is Sweet at High Road School of Hartford Primary

A Schoolwide Reading Challenge
Students at High Road School of Hartford Primary had an extra reason to pick up a book this October. A schoolwide reading challenge gave students the chance to put their literacy skills to work and earn a sweet reward in the process.
Throughout the month, students selected a themed book at their individual reading level and completed a book report. The activity asked students to identify key story elements, including characters and setting, giving them another way to practice reading comprehension using books selected with their needs in mind.
Encouraging Reading and Reinforcing Skills
The challenge was organized by the school’s speech-language pathologist and library coordinator as a way to encourage students to read while reinforcing skills they are working on in the classroom.
Students who completed the challenge got to choose a full-size candy bar as their reward. The incentive proved popular, with more than 75% of students reading a book and turning in a completed report.
Building Excitement Around Books
The response went beyond the candy, too. Students have already started asking what next month’s reading challenge will be.
By pairing individualized reading with a schoolwide activity students could get excited about, staff found a simple way to build enthusiasm around books while giving students another opportunity to strengthen their literacy skills.





