Celebrating International School Library Month with a Drop Everything and Read Challenge!
School District 79 Dropped Everything to Read!
On Monday, Oct. 23, students and staff from schools across the Cowichan Valley participated in 20 minutes of reading during our Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Challenge!
Trustees and community leaders joined in on the fun, as we continued to celebrate International School Library Month.
According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report (Canadian edition):
- 82% of surveyed parents and children said parents are kids’ #1 source of encouragement to read books for fun. Teachers and school librarians are next (69%).
- 86% of kids ages 6-17 are currently reading, or have just finished reading, a book for fun.
- On average, kids have read 23 books in the last year!
- According to parents, there are several benefits of reading, including:
- Developing vocabulary and language skills (78%)
- Using his/her imagination (71%)
- Becoming excited about reading (68%)
- Being successful in school (64%)
- Spending time away from technology (64%).
- As children get older, reading for fun starts to lose out to other activities, with 50% of kids ages 6–8 reading for fun 5–7 days per week, compared to only 25% of 15–17-year-olds.
Reading is not an activity reserved exclusively for a DEAR challenge, children and adults alike can make this a daily activity! Visit a local library (including a school library), head to your favourite bookstore, borrow a book from a friend, or pull out that e-reader…whatever the method, challenge yourself to make reading a daily activity.
Photos: Staff and students participating in the DEAR Challenge at Maple Bay Elementary, École Cobble Hill, George Bonner Elementary, Alexander Elementary, and Tansor Elementary!
