Read-No-Screen-a-thon comes to an end

As with all good things, the Read-No-Screen-a-thon also came to an end last week.

The Read-No-Screen-a-thon started in early February to encourage children to read books and to avoid any type of screen time. Children received points for each book they read, provided they did not use any screen - tablet, mobile, computer or TV. They were responsible for maintaining their own book log and getting verification signatures from their parents.   

At the end of each week, the points for the week were totaled. Mr. Reading Pot, an ancient heirloom from our Correspondent's family - was brought in, loaded with gifts in his belly.  As children squirmed with delight, Mr. Reading Pot spoke to each and every one of them - sometimes in a deep gruff voice, sometimes in a high pitched squeaky tone - admonishing them for reading "too many books" and "grabbing all the lovely gifts" he had stored in his belly.  But he'd let them reach in and swirl their hands around, feeling for just the right gift.  Older children elected to save their points to buy a gift from Amazon at the end of the Read-a-thon. 


With such incentives, children read with gusto. They stretched and pushed themselves. They borrowed books like there was no tomorrow.  Forget a book a day, some were reading 5 Enid Blytons a day!  For a select few, the confirmed bookworms, there was an additional stipulation - they had to only read non fiction books to win points. "Daddy Long Legs", "Ancient Romans", "Horrible Geography", "Wind in the Willows" were some of the books devoured by the kids. 

At the end of the Read-a-thon, all children scoring above a cut off were taken out on a treat.  The Upper Elementary elected to go spend the day at the Anna Library followed by a pizza party.  The younger ones chose to go for an ice cream party at Baskin Robbins.  



And now all the gifts they selected from Amazon are arriving daily.  Uh Oh! More books to read........