Reading Olympics Brings Students Together to Celebrate Reading

Students in colorful T-shirts piled out of a sea of yellow school buses Tuesday evening to head into Norristown Area High School for the annual Reading Olympics event.

and students were among the more than 7,000 students from 120 different Montgomery County schools who participated in Reading Olympics events this spring.

Sponsored by the Montgomery County Interemediate Unit (MCIU), the goal of the Reading Olympics program is to increase students' reading for enjoyment and to promote reading skills development.

“The idea is to get students into the habit of leisure reading and to give them a chance to learn team responsibility,” said Reading Olympics Coordinator Maria Johns.

There are three levels of readers: elementary, middle and senior. Book lists—of up to 40 books for each level—are selected by a committee of librarians, reading specialists and classroom teachers. Participants are encouraged to read as many books as possible on the list throughout the fall and winter.

A team of professionals reads each book and then writes questions for the students to answer.

At Reading Olympics, students participate in school teams to answer questions after collaboration with teammates. Correct answers are awarded points, and colored ribbons are awarded at the end of the evening.

For a peek at what students read for this year's event, check out the 2010-11 book list. The 2012 list is due out in May and will be posted at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit website.