The number of books wasn't the challenge for me, though. Overall I read 125 books this school year. The challenge for me was reading the various genres. The Challenge includes several titles from each of 10 genres.
My progress - Very, very public |
My Free Choice Novels (18) were completed in January. Oops.
Like most of my students, I found myself struggling to complete the poetry, classics, and nonfiction requirements. With 5 weeks left in the school year, I still had one from each of those categories to read. So I set up a plan and publicized it to my students - I would read on of those books each week, finishing the challenge with 2 weeks to spare.
And... I did it! You can even check out my complete list of books read.
Thoughts on My Personal Progress:
I really enjoyed reading genres that I'm not accustomed to. For instance I absolutely loved My Father's Dragon (classic), The Mighty Miss Malone (historical fiction), and The Animal Book (nonfiction). I can confidently say that I would not have read any of those terrific books if it weren't for this challenge.
I learned that I need to cultivate a more specific interest in nonfiction, mystery, and poetry books. To do this, I want to find authors and/or series that really grab me.
In May I needed 2 more nonfiction books, but had no interest in anything on the shelves. So I did a search on Goodreads Listopia for great nonfiction books. I was looking for a consistently wonderful author. I already love Steve Jenkins, but I've already read all of his books. Luckily, I discovered Catherine Thimmesh. I went straight to the library and check out two of her books, Team Moon and Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled. They were excellent!
Thoughts on My Students's Progress:
School is out in 2 weeks, so I'll update you then. As of now, 9 of my 19 students have completed the challenge. That's double our completion rate from last year! Plus, there are 3 other students who are so close.
UPDATE ~ Read my Reflections on Student Progress in which I am flabbergasted by the completion rate.
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