National Audiobook Challenge Encourages Thousands of Students At-Risk to Read

Learning Ally's 2021 Great Reading Games Announced

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Jan 11, 2021, 08:14 ET

PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning Ally, the nation's leader in education technology solutions for students with reading deficits, has launched its 2021 Great Reading Games. The seven-week "human-read" audiobook challenge runs through February 28, 2021. It concludes with a celebratory-style livestream event connecting students, teachers, and schools across the nation to further Read Across America and the mission of Learning Ally... "reading for all."

National Audiobook Challenge Encourages Thousands of Students At-Risk to Read

Now in its seventh year, The Great Reading Games is a rewards-based audiobook challenge to encourage students at-risk to read books. Student participants build foundation skills, boost reading stamina, and feel confident in their learning ability.

U.S. schools and districts take part in the Games to jumpstart schoolwide and inclusive reading initiatives, especially for students who read below grade level and rarely find enjoyment in reading. Last year a record number 33,000 students participated.

Terrie Noland, V.P. of Educator Initiatives at Learning Ally, said, "Teachers are looking for innovative ways to encourage students to read. This challenge complements any learning setting. Resources are pre-made and ready to launch for teachers. Students get excited to read. They come to class pumped to talk about the books they are reading for 20 minutes or more each day. They are eager to lead their class or school to victory!"

Students accumulate points in one of 12 brackets based on grade-level and school size. The Learning Ally app tracks students' activity based on a sliding point schedule designed to reward them for reading inside and outside the school day:

100 points for everyday a student reads for 20 minutes on a weekday
50 points for everyday a student reads 20 minutes on Saturday or Sunday
10 points for every page read and 1 point for every student that is reading

New to the Games is a pre-game Boost-Up activity to reward current and new educators to take early initiatives to spark students' reading interests. A sliding point schedule ranges from 200 to 5000 points for signing up early, adding new books to students' bookshelf, getting more teachers involved and first year participation.

Students who read the most audiobooks receive monetary gift cards. Their teachers and schools have opportunities to win monetary prizes based on social activity and a continued zeal to nurture class reading and instill a schoolwide culture of readers.

Data collected in past years indicate students who participate in the Games are three times more likely to excel in reading frequency and 300% more likely to improve skills in comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, and learning independence. Students also enjoy a deeper connection with peers and teachers, and experience a more positive outlook toward their future academic potential.

Learn more about the Great Reading Games.

About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit education solutions organization dedicated to equipping educators with proven solutions that help new and struggling learners reach their potential. Our range of literacy-focused offerings for students in Pre-K to 12th grade and catalog of professional learning allows us to support more than 1.5 million students and 135,000 educators across the US.

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is our cornerstone award-winning reading accommodation used in approximately 18,500 schools to help students with reading deficits succeed. Composed of high quality, human-read audiobooks, and a suite of teacher resources to monitor and support student progress, it is designed to turn struggling readers into engaged learners.

Visit www.learningally.org/educators. Call 800-221-1098.

Media Contact:
Valerie Chernek
410-960-4060
[email protected]

SOURCE Learning Ally