Summer Challenge 101 for Parents

The 11 things you need to know:

1. The Scholastic Summer Challenge…what is it? It’s a free global reading program aimed to keep kids reading all summer long. Kids read books, log their minutes, and earn virtual rewards all summer.
2. Why should we join?  Studies show that when kids don’t read over the summer, they lose core reading skills and fall behind when they go back to school. Keeping kids reading over the summer helps them maintain or increase their reading and learning skills.  Plus you can get a free Storia® ebook to get your kids’ summer reading started. Click here!
3. How do I sign my child up?  There are two ways to register. First, check with your child’s teacher to see if he or she signed up the entire class already.  If so, the teacher has assigned your child a username and password.  If not, you and your child can go to www.scholastic.com/summer and sign up. It’s free!
4. How old does my child have to be? 5-12 is the core age, but if you read to your younger children, you can log reading minutes on their behalf.
5. Sign in to the website? Is that safe? YES! There are COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) laws that Scholastic adheres to.  It is completely safe for kids.
6. My school is not participating. Can my child still sign up for the Challenge? Absolutely! Parents can help their kids register by going to Scholastic.com/summer. Click on “kids” and then follow the instructions to pick a user name and password. After entering your country and state, you can find your children’s school so their reading minutes will count for the school. Make sure to check your email as you will receive an approval email asking permission for reading minutes to be applied to your child’s school.
7. What’s the benefit of having my child’s minutes count for the school? The top 20 schools will be listed in the 2014 Scholastic Book of World Records and will receive a plaque. The top school in each state will also receive a plaque. AND, the school that logs the most minutes will win a visit from Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey! So make sure to find your child’s school on the list.
8. My child is still in school – does that mean we have to wait for summer vacation to start? No! Kids can start logging minutes right away through September 6, 2013.
9. I am always looking for creative ways to keep my kids reading. Any suggestions? Sure! We have LOTS of great ideas.  Check out the Scholastic Parents Facebook page to find the new content calendar that provides free daily expert tips and articles, activities, discounts on books, and special Friday giveaways. You can also find details about upcoming Facebook chats.
10. If we go on vacation this summer, how do we log our minutes? Log them on-the-go with the free Scholastic Reading Timer mobile app, available for iOS and Android devices. Use your child’s summer challenge username and password to log minutes, spin the prize wheel to earn rewards, and help set a new world record for summer reading! Plus, parents can see how many minutes their child logged and access articles and tips to encourage kids to read.
11. Why a list of 11 things? (These types of lists are usually in multiples of 5, right?) We are all about the number 11. According to the Kids & Family Reading Report, parents think their kids should read 11 books over the summer. Wondering what books to suggest to your kids to read? Check out our book lists and follow our Pinterest board – we’ll have a new board of 11 books each week.

Hope this helps! Go to Scholastic.com/summer to get started.  Follow us on Facebook for more tips on summer reading.  And, happy reading!