Reading during summertime! You can practically hear your children groan at the mere thought. Of course, once they get started on a good book, all reservations vanish faster than a dozen donuts left alone in the office kitchen. Still, getting your child reading during the summer months can be a battle.
Enter the Summer Battle of the Books.
In its third year, the Summer Battle of the Books is a way to get kids excited in reading through a competition filled with activities, motivational speakers and good old fashion fun. The competition is an excellent way to keep kids interested and engaged in reading at a time when students typically undergo a regression in their academic knowledge. Research has shown that students can lose about one month’s worth of school-year learning, with lower-income students more likely to suffer regressions.
Kindergartners through 5th graders can participate in the competition by registering here. After more than a month of fun-filled, book related activities, the competition ends with the virtual 2021 Summer Battle of the Books event via Zoom on July 22 to crown Miami-Dade’s Great Book Warriors.
The process is simple: after kids register, they are assigned a book by grade level and they can pick up a free copy of the book (or download an eBook). From there, they can start downloading activities to complete at home.
This year’s books will be the following:
- Kindergarten & 1st grade- Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
- 2nd & 3rd grade - Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown
- 4th & 5th grade - President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston
Once they are registered and reading, participants will be prompted to watch a series of videos to encourage them to read, including virtual visits from special guess from the NBA and Miami Hurricane football, baseball and basketball coaches and players, as well as cheerleaders.
Watch videos to pump you up for the battle with special guests from the NBA and Miami Hurricanes cheerleaders, football, baseball and basketball coaches and players!
Last year, over 800 individuals participated in the Battle of the Books, which is hosted by the partners of the Miami Dade Grade Level Reading Campaign in July. The competition is another way to encourage children to enjoy the thrills and benefits of reading and early literacy.