Clarendon Hills Middle School Recognizes Million Word Readers

Clarendon Hills Middle School (CHMS) Media Resource Center Director Sally Duffy and CHMS Reading Specialist Betty Schoob coordinated a first-time activity this year that was met with outstanding success. Duffy and Schoob adopted a reading-focused program used at another school district called “A Million Words” - a school-wide effort that challenged students, staff, families and neighbors to read one million words between February 14 and May 15. After reading a book, users entered the book in an online system, which also provided word counts for most books. Dozens met the challenge individually and as teams, including 68 students. 

Of the 68 readers, some say the challenge was motivation to read more, while others say they appreciated the reward for reading they would have done anyway. Student Chuqi Zheng, who was among the 68, said she loves to read and was not intimidated by the idea of one million words. “One million words is about ten books, and I knew I could read that many in three months, but it was fun to enter in my books and see the count go up.” Among the favorite books of the 68 were Wicked (Gregory Maguire), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Les Miserables (Victor Hugo), Cinder (Marissa Meyer), and The World As We Know It (Joseph Monninger).

The challenge was funded in part by a grant from the D181 Foundation. Duffy and Schoob hope to continue the program next year and perhaps expand by inviting other District 181 schools to join in the challenge.

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Caption: Pictured are the 68 CHMS students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 who were recognized for individually reading more than one million words during a three month reading challenge led by the school’s Media Resource Center Director and Reading Specialist.