To help bring kids together and foster a shared love of reading, Salford Hills Elementary School’s Reading Olympics program aims to bring kids together by having them read various books and answer questions based on their contents.
Salford Hills, along with the district’s five other elementary schools, participate in the program every year.
According to Reading Olympics coordinator Erika Jucewicz, the program is less about competition and more about collaboration.
“It’s really just an opportunity for kids to work together, to read a list of books and then answer questions about the books. They’re just trying to accumulate as many points as they can,” Jucewicz said. “When they answer questions correctly, they get a point, and at the end of the competition, they earn colored ribbons based on how many points they have.”
According to Jucewicz, students are presented with a reading list where they can pick books from and read, supporting a variety of reading levels and preferences.
“There are 25 books on the list now. It’s a range of books, chapter books, picture books, fiction and nonfiction,” Jucewicz said. “Anywhere from what we would call lower reading levels all the way up to the highest levels. It’s designed so that every student can find something that fits them.”
Reading Olympics team leader Heidi Pekar feels that Reading Olympics is a good outlet for kids to be able to read books.
“I think it’s motivation for kids to pick up books and read. There are a lot of other avenues and a lot of other things that kids can do these days, and I do see a little bit of a decline in reading,” Pekar said. “ It’s another chance to read from a list of really good books, be with their friends, collaborate and talk about the books.”
According to Reading Olympics facilitator Laura Moyer, one of the things she enjoys about the program is the energy the kids bring and the social aspect of it.
“I love how excited the kids get to talk about the books. When they hear a question that they know the answer to, they really get amped up. It’s just a super fun night to talk about reading and get the kids excited,” Moyer said.
For fifth-grader Mali Clemens, she likes Reading Olympics as it allows her to “be with her friends and read.”
Clemens feels that Reading Olympics is fun. For Clemens, having her friends there makes it more enjoyable and allows her to be with them even though they are in different classes.
She also enjoys reading from the wide selection of books.
According to fourth-grader Charlotte Geesaman, she enjoys reading Olympics as it “gets your mind thinking and active.”