Practicing for months in advance, students and their coaches in the district’s elementary and middle schools are preparing for the Reading Olympics competition on March 21 at the high school.
Reading Olympics is an activity that brings students together as teams to compete against other schools.
According to Oak Ridge Elementary School Reading Olympics coach Brooke Rogers, Reading Olympics is a “celebration of reading.”
After reading about 25 books, students compete in small groups where their knowledge of said books are tested.
The competition is based on trivia questions and reading comprehension of books on the Reading Olympics list.
According to Rogers, the book list is composed of a wide variety of genres and options.
“It’s a great collection of books to get kids interested in reading the different series. There is nonfiction, fiction, fantasy and graphic novels,” Rogers said. “It really is a mix of everything so that kids can find something they like.”
Franconia Elementary School Reading Olympics coach and coordinator Karen Planinshek said that “reading Olympics is a chance to read books and talk about them with other students. [Students] have 25 different titles, so there is something for everyone.”
According to Rogers, some of the books on the list this year include “From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler,” “I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944” and “El Deafo.”
While Reading Olympics is an educational program that helps students build skills, it is also an opportunity for students to make friends and create relationships with others that have similar interests.
“I think it gives them a sense of belonging, they get to feel like they are a part of something,” Planinshek said. “It is also definitely a social thing for the students in the mornings and they look forward to coming in.”
Sophomore Yuktha Bungatavula participated in Reading Olympics in elementary school and remembers meeting new friends in the club.
“My favorite memory from Reading Olympics was making friends who have the same interests as me,” Bungatavula said. “I also learned my love for reading through Reading Olympics.”
According to Rogers, an important part of being in the club is learning how to work “together as a team.”