All meetings will be at Valley Oaks, 3401 Chester Avenue. For additional information contact Mrs. Eknoian 852-6717.
America’s Battle of the Books is a voluntary reading incentive program for students in grades 3-8. The purpose is simply to encourage students to read good books and have fun while reading books. Students read books and come together to demonstrate their abilities and test their knowledge of the books they have read.
The competitions are similar in style to the TV series Family Feud, but the structure and format of the competitions may vary depending on the needs, resources and personal preferences of the organizers of the county competition.
How Does A Student Participate?
A student participates by reading from the book list provided for this year’s Battle of the Books. Students may count “books” they have read before. However, they cannot count books that they have only seen on a video or a movie. They must read the book. Students must also pass a short test for comprehension for each book. They should keep a summary or log so they can review this information before their “Battle” competition. A minimum of 15 of the 30 books must be read before final competition, but reading more is always better. If you are interested you must register with Mrs. Culbertson and Mrs. Eknoian.
Where Do The Students Get The Books?
Valley Oaks school library will have several copies of each book on the list for the 4th through 6th graders and some of the books for the 7th and 8th graders. Copies of the “Battle” books will be located in the main meeting room on marked book shelf. Bookstores will also have them available and the public library should have most titles on their shelves.
When Do The Students Read The Books?
The main “Battle” competition will not be held until March or April of next year. Therefore, students will have plenty of time to read the books during the school year. Reading through the summer is completely optional, but available to students. During the school year we will be having “Battle” meetings about once a month and practice “Battles”, so make sure you are registered so that you can be notified of these dates.
What Is The “Battle”?
A typical “Battle” is a full day tournament or game, like the College Bowl, in which students’ teams earn points by answering questions about the books on the book list. The day begins with a meeting, a morning snack and directions for the day. Then students are assigned to a team, given a mascot, and sent to their first round of the “Battle”. They play several rounds, each against a different team. At the end of the morning, points are totaled and the two teams with the most points are invited to a “Grand Battle” after lunch, with the other teams as their audience.
How Does It Benefit The Child?
The students gain knowledge and enjoyment from reading good books, sharing them with friends, parents and teachers, plus a fun day of playing in the “Battle”.