EPISD Winter Break Reading Challenge starts Sunday
(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT -- Dec. 16, 2019) — ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house EPISD children were reading using their tablets and iPads.
Winter break is fast approaching for EPISD, and that means students will have time to rest and spend time with their families. But educators want them to know that break time does not mean books are off the table.
The EPISD myOn Winter Reading Challenge can help elementary- and middle-school students keep up with their literacy during the winter vacation time, but also win some prizes for doing reading the most books from Dec. 22 to Jan. 7.
“A child who reads at least 20 minutes a day read 1.8 million words in a year,” said EPISD Chief Academic Officer Tamekia Brown. “Our research is clear that over time a child who keeps up with his or her reading will outperform their peers.”
The winter reading challenge will help students keep up with their reading, even when school is not in session.
Winners for the most minutes read will be tracked using myOn, EPISD’s digital book access point that is available free of charge to all students in the District. Five top readers will be selected in three categories — kinder to second grade, third to fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade.
Winners in each category will receive fun prizes and a certificate. The top reader in each category will receive a Visa Gift Card.
To participate, students need to simply log in to the myOn account through the EPISD Plaza using their username (EPISD email) and password. Their teacher can provide a password to myOn.
Once logged in, students can click on the myOn link and began browsing books that spark their interest. The system will track reading time during the winter break and winners will be notified once school resumes in January.
Graphic by Martín A. López