Reading 100 Books!!!

Every year for years and YEARS I have given my children a 100 book 'book worm' sheet challenge. The book worm has a long body marked with 20 segments that total up at the top to one-hundred books read. The children color in each segment as they go along and it helps them keep a record of how many books they have read. The goal has always been to read 100 books. We would read 100 books in the Fall (September through December), Winter (January through April) and then Summer (May through August). When they were younger it was easy to find one-hundred picture books that they loved and could read. As they have gotten older the challenge was been more about the number of pages. Either way they have loved the challenge and the prizes =D (My older children are now reading so much that there is no longer a need to challenge them in this manner, but I have, for the last couple of years, been a part of Book It! with Pizza Hut. This program was a perfect switch over from the book worm sheet challenge idea. Each child is required to read at least 20 minutes a day. At the end of the month they hand in their sheet and receive a free personal pizza! It starts up in November and ends in March- the children are always excited to take part in it).

The following photos are of my Joy School class. 

They all participated in my 100 book challenge and succeeded! 

With their success I just had to throw a party for them! 

As an educator and homeschooling mom I believe that to challenge children with goals and rewards has always served children well. Reading can be very difficult for some children and even overwhelming. With this little book worm sheet they can show Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, or friends how well they have been succeeding. Even children who are unable to read get a chart. Each time they have daddy, mommy or sibling read a book to them they color in a worm segment too!

 As they get closer to one-hundred they are encouraged to get to the end. And once the goal has been accomplished you can celebrate in any number of ways. I always make cupcakes and throw a small party. One year they each received a small gift card to Toys R Us after each one-hundred books, but in August after accomplishing 300 books for the year they each received a larger gift card. They were so proud of themselves and they knew we were too.