race-to-1000WHAT IS THE RACE TO 1000?
We are challenging all students to raise their reading scores on the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) assessment to over 1000. For students who currently score below 750 points on the SRI, the goal is to grow by 250 points this year.

WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS CHALLENGE?
A student’s reading level at the end of 8th grade is the number one predictor of success in high school, and we want all of our students to be High School Ready by the time they move on from Claremont. We become good at what we practice, so we are all reading every day in order to become excellent readers.

HOW WILL WE SUCCEED?
Our school is supporting all students in the Race to 1000 through:

Sustained Silent Reading (SSR): We are reading for the majority of Advisory Class three days a week: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

  • Each day, all students should have a book, comic book or magazine to read. Students make the most progress by choosing one book and reading silently during SSR.
  • Students should try to stick with the same reading material instead of getting up and down during SSR to choose new reading material. Students who start reading a book they don’t like (it happens) can get a new book the next day.

Students will be reading seven times a week at school for 20 minutes and filling out reading logs: Students will read three times a week during Advisory period and twice in English, and they will use Newsela (www.newsela.com) in science and Social Studies classes. Students will fill out weekly reading logs, and make progress to become better readers.

  • Helping students set goals: We are focusing on reading scores during our Student Led Conferences. Students should know their SRI scores and set specific goals. Where will you be by January? Where will you be by the end of the year?
  • Advisory and English teachers will be familiar with their students’ SRI scores and improvement goals, and discuss each student’s plan for achieving their reading goals.
  • Our library is open five days a week, and Ms. Reimer can always help students choose a great book to read. We are also improving classroom libraries.
  • Students will fill out weekly reading logs to enter the school-wide raffle. A completed reading log checked by the student’s English teacher will earn the student a raffle ticket. Prizes include class pizza parties and ice cream parties.

Race to 1000 begins the week of Nov. 7. Incentives and prizes are detailed below:

COMPONENTS OF RACE TO 1000

  • Shelf Talkers: Write a book recommendation like the ones you would see posted on the shelves in a bookstore.
  • Book Jackets: Create a book jacket to “sell” a book and capture the best parts of your reading experience. We have a one-page guide for making book jackets, and there will be support during Mr. Mayer’s Book Club (every other Friday during lunch).

SCHOOL-WIDE INCENTIVES FOR RACE TO 1000

  • Advisory Competition: We will have Advisory classes compete against each other; winners will be chosen based on the percentage of students with the most engaged Sustained Silent Reading.
  • Reading Log Competition by English Class: English teachers will report on the percentage of students in each class who have properly filled out their reading logs. Each grade level will have an English class winner.
  • Grade Level SRI Growth: The grade level with the most SRI growth between Nov. 1 and Jan. 30 will have a special dance party– as determined by mid-year SRI scores.
  • Grade Level Raffles at Student of the Month Assembly: Starting in December there will be raffles for $25, $50, and $100 gift cards. Three cards will be raffled off at each grade level assembly in December. Students can earn raffle tickets in three ways:
    1. Shelf Talkers – worth two Race to 1000 raffle tickets
    2. Book Jackets – worth five Race to 1000 raffle tickets
    3. Perfect Reading Log – worth one Race to 1000 raffle ticket each week