Parents in Texas Take the Pledge: 'I'll Turn Off the TV and Make Sure My Child Reads for 30 Minutes Every Night'

FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- "We had to keep setting up more chairs," said Ferrell Yeokum, principal of Meadowcreek Elementary School in the Crowley Independent School District.  "It was one of the most exciting things I've witnessed as an educator."  

Yeokum was referring to the evening of November 9th, when Meadowcreek's second- and third-grade teachers hosted their first annual 100 Book Challenge parents' meeting.  More than 250 people attended the event to learn more about the new program and to sign on as home coaches.  By signing official "Home Coach Contracts," parents pledged to 1) turn off the TV, computers, phone, and games; 2) observe their child reading for 30 minutes every night, seven days a week; 3) think and talk about the books afterward, 4) sign 100 Book Challenge logsheets; and 5) ensure their child packs up books for safe return to school.  At the kickoff, each child was given two free books to build their own home libraries.  

100 Book Challenge is a reading accountability system from American Reading Company through which practice targets are set, monitored, and rewarded, ensuring every student adopts the independent reading routines of academically successful students.   Research shows that most students who are below grade level in reading are behind because they haven't read enough.  100 Book Challenge will change this as students will be expected to read 800 "steps" or 200 hours per school year.  Principal Yeokum and teachers will undergo training to master research-based teaching methods aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).  The school has also been infused with new classroom libraries from which students self-select books to read in school and to take home each night. Every two weeks, more than 4,000 new books rotate among second- and third-grade classrooms so teachers and students can continually access new titles.

"Already I am noticing a difference in my son's interest in reading," says parent LaToya Collins.  "I am pleased he has access to so many books at his reading level and that I'm learning about new ways to help him at home with his reading.  It feels good to be involved."

According to Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of American Reading Company, "With Principal Yeokum's leadership, expert teacher training, and daily parent involvement, we expect to see significant reading gains for all students."

About American Reading Company

American Reading Company transforms school cultures to create sustainable reading achievement through training, management, and monitoring. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Today, more than a million students in 2,100 schools across 420 districts in 41 states participate in the company's programs, which include ACTION 100, 100 Book Challenge, Research Labs, and Summer School Express. For more information, please visit www.americanreading.com.

SOURCE American Reading Company