Help Make A Difference at Edison Elementary!
Edison Elementary School’s eighth annual Read-a-Thon will take place Monday, October 5th through Monday, October 19th, 2020.
During this two-week event, students focus on reading while raising money for important PTA-sponsored programs.
Your donations help make our school great!
Thanks for participating! If you have questions about the program, or donations, please email readathon@edisonpta.org.
Read-a-Thon Kick-Off
Edison will kick-off the Read-a-Thon with a video assembly featuring our own local author and illustrator – Maria van Lieshout.
Set a Daily Reading Goal
Students set a daily reading goal for the two-week period. All time spent reading outside of school. No in-school reading should be recorded. All reading outside of school counts, whether your child is reading or being read to.
Secure Sponsors
Students share their reading goal with family, friends, and neighbors and ask for a flat donation to support their efforts! Each student should try to raise at least $60 or ask 10 people for donations. Students record all donations whether check, cash, or an online donation in their reading and donation logs. Checks should be made payable to “Edison School PTA”.
It's really easy for donors to make online donations by credit card or Paypal using the form at the top of this page.
Track Reading Time
Read! Read! Read! Students mark off how many minutes they read each day in increments on their reading board. Parents and guardians may help students with this task.
Thank You Edison Students
Reading and fundraising is hard work! To thank our students, the reading log board has several incentives the students can reach along the way as they read more and more. If students raise at least $200, they will receive a Tucker’s junior scoop certificate. The top three students in EACH CLASS who read the most verified minutes will earn a $10 gift certificate to Books, Inc and the two highest fundraisers in each class will receive a $10 gift certificate to Toy Safari! Additionally, if the whole school hits our fundraising goal of $35,000 for read-a-thon, Mr. Sahakian will film a SILLY STUNT VIDEO of himself for the school to watch!
Reading Log and Donations
We encourage all Edison students to participate in the read-a-thon this year! This event is a way of maintaining continuity and tradition in a time with unprecedented disruptions to our normal daily lives.
This year, we are using PledgeStar for recording student hours read and donations received through an online system, although there will be an option to print out a hardcopy to record this information as well.
Please set up your account through the following link (which contains instructions) as soon as you can!
https://pledgestar.com/edisonreadathon/a/familyinstructions.html
Recommended Times
To make setting a daily reading goal easier, listed below are some sample times for each grade.
Please work with your child to set a daily reading goal that is a bit challenging, yet attainable given his or her reading level and ability. If you have questions about what is appropriate, please contact your child’s teacher.
| Kindergarten | 10-20 minutes per day |
| First Grade | 15-25 minutes per day |
| Second Grade | 20-30 minutes per day |
| Third Grade | 25-35 minutes per day |
| Fourth Grade | 30-45 minutes per day |
| Fifth Grade | 30-60 minutes per day |
Reading Strategies
Make this challenge fun for the whole family! Take a trip to the library and stock up on books that interest your child. Encourage and praise your child as they participate and engage in reading anything that is appropriate for their reading level.
For children in the lower grades, listening to adults or older siblings read counts as reading time. When reading with your child, ask recall questions about characters or details of the story in order to build his or her reading comprehension skills. Talk about the story and relate it to your child’s everyday life when possible.
For families with students in the upper grades, consider having them read in one room with others who are reading quietly — a family reading night! Or, try reading out loud as a family one night a week while rotating readers. Help strengthen your child’s reading skills by asking questions about his or her reading in terms of comprehension, recall of details, and discussing the book’s theme or ideas.
To parents, family members, and guardians, we encourage you to take the challenge of setting a goal and reading daily as well. Show your child that reading is important in your life too.
When our children see us reading, they learn the value and joy of it. Have fun reading.
Sponsor your child in the Read-a-Thon! You could also offer to match your child’s total collected donations or donations up to a certain amount. All donations are tax deductible!
Help your child write a handwritten letter or send an email to family, friends, and your colleagues using the template in your packet. Here are some sample letters and video to inspire you!
Help your child approach at least 10 family members, friends, or neighbors. Use the talking points found on the outside of Read-a-Thon envelope for guidance.
Ask more people for smaller donations of $5, $10, $15, and $20 in cash, check (made out to Edison PTA) or online at this page, https://edisonpta.org/fundraising/read-a-thon.
Help your child try to raise at least $60. If students raise at least $200, they will receive a Tucker’s junior scoop certificate. The top three students in EACH CLASS who read the most verified minutes will earn a $10 gift certificate to Books, Inc and the two highest fundraisers in each class will receive a $10 gift certificate to Toy Safari! Additionally, if the whole school hits our fundraising goal of $35,000 for read-a-thon, Mr. Sahakian will film a SILLY STUNT VIDEO of himself for the school to watch!
Donation receipts are available for any sponsors who would like them. To print copies of the donation receipt to give out to sponsors, click here.
ATTENTION OTTERS! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO RECOMMEND YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS TO YOUR FRIENDS AND LEARN ABOUT NEW BOOKS TO CHECK OUT!
The following books are Edison Otter favorites -- either to read themselves or when being read to!
Kindergarten / 1st grade:
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg
Anything by Jon Scieszka and Dave Shannon
Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays by Jon Stahl -- a local Alameda author!!
Girl Running by Annette Pimentel -- Annette was the local author at our 2019 Read-A-Thon kick-off assembly!
How I Met My Monster Series by Amanda Noll
One - by Kathryn Otashi -- artistic/visual take on bullying and standing up to bullies
Minecraft Guidebooks - especially Ash’s Quest
How To Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan
2nd / 3rd grade:
Anything by Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett (grades K-3)
Big Nate books by Lincoln Peirce (grades 1-3)
Dog Man books by Dav Pilkey (grades 1-3)
Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami (grades 1-3)
Mountain Chef by Annette Pimentel (grades 2-5) -- Annette was the local author at our 2019 Read-A-Thon kick-off assembly!
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (grades K-3) -- about the immigration experience
Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung (grades K-3) -- embraces diversity
Dragon Masters series by Tracey West
The Notebook of Doom series by Troy Cummings
Eerie Elementary series by Jack Chabert
Kung Pow Chicken series by Cyndi Marko
Looniverse series by David Lubar and Matt Loveridge
Princess Pulverizer series by Nancy Krulik and Ian McGinty
A Princess in Black series by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, et al.
Ella and Owen series by Jaden Kent
Treehouse Series by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Field Trip Mysteries by Steve Brezenoff
4th / 5th grade:
Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey
El Deafo by Cece Bell (grades 3-5) -- a wonderful book for older elementary kids about disabilities
Anything by Jennifer Holm -- novels and graphic novels
Of note:
*** The American Library Association is a great resource for books. Here is their 2019 list of notable books for younger (picture books), middle grade, and older kids (which skews Young Adult). It’s a great list. http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb ***
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the dates of the Read-a-Thon?
Q: What does my child need to do to participate in the Read-a-Thon?
Q: My child cannot read yet on his or her own, can my child still participate?
Q: What counts for reading?
Q: Do I need special forms for the Read-a-Thon?
https://pledgestar.com/edisonreadathon/a/familyinstructions.html
Q: Whom should my child ask to be a sponsor?
Q: How much money should a sponsor donate?
Q: When should the money be collected from sponsors?
Q: Who is responsible for collecting the sponsorship donations?
Q: Are there prizes for the students?
Q: Can my child participate – even without sponsors?
Q: Is there a “template” request for donations that I can send to family and friends?
A: Yes. Here is one we’ve drafted, but please edit to make it your own! You can send this out in an email to friends and family or post on social media.
*****
Hello Family and Friends!
It's Read-A-Thon time of the year for [CHILD NAME] at Edison Elementary School! [CHILD NAME] has been reading up a storm since the Read-A-Thon started! [CHILD NAME] has set a reading goal of [XX] hours over the course of the two-week Read-A-Thon. This fun event is the Edison PTA’s only student-led fundraiser, so it's a great way for the kids to raise money for the school they love while discovering new books, giving book recommendations to their friends, and starting the school year off with a smile.
If you would consider donating to [CHILD NAME]'s Read-A-Thon, I know [CHILD NAME] would greatly appreciate it -- as would the school! Please go to the Edison PTA's Read-A-Thon website and click "Donate Now" by Monday, October 19th: https://edisonpta.org/fundraising/read-a-thon/ No donation is too large or too small. All donations are tax deductible.
All Read-A-Thon donations will go directly to the Edison PTA, which provides funding for programming the community deems essential for creating well-rounded students -- art and garden classes, additions and improvements to the library & media center, field trips, assemblies, technology purchases & staff training, the Kindergarten Music Teacher, a Psych Intern, STEM-specific enrichment, and more.
Thank you so much for considering to donate -- and Happy Reading!
Thank you for supporting and participating in the Edison Read-a-Thon!
Questions? Please email readathon@edisonpta.org