Beanstack™ Reading Challenges
GHAL uses the Beanstack™ tracker app to conduct their reading challenges. The app is free to download and use with a library card in good standing.
How to Join a Reading Challenge:
Seasonal Reading Challenges
GHAL typically creates four seasonal reading challenges: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The Summer Reading Challenge is the largest and most in depth in order to help children and families bridge the gap between school years so that minds and bodies continue to be active and stay engaged. Studies show that participation in summer learning activities aid in education retention.
Annual Summer Reading Challenge
Summer Reading is the biggest “event” of the year for GHAL. Year after year, hundreds of children, teens and adults participate in the annual tradition that is Summer Reading. Extensive work goes into planning the challenge every summer filled with programs, parties, prizes, activities, and rewards.
The success of this program is largely due to contributions from businesses, families, individuals and participants who donate funds, purchase prizes, contribute supplies, and sponsor programs. Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) funds are designated for Summer Reading.
Yearlong Reading Challenge
A reading challenge is always going on at GHAL regardless of the season. The yearlong reading challenge is an opportunity to get acquainted with navigating the Beanstack™ app or browser; adding multiple readers on the account; keeping track of the books you’ve already completed; leaving reviews, setting up reminder notifications, and more. All reading challenges allow you to back log your reading, so you don’t feel pressured into logging your time every day. Because there is no such thing as the “reading police,” GHAL operates its challenges “in good faith” assuming that participants are honestly estimating the time they have spent reading.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a national early-literacy initiative for children from birth to entering kindergarten and is hailed for putting young kids on the path to success. The concept is simple. The execution is simple. The benefits are BOUNDLESS!
All it takes is reading one book a day. It can be any form of reading— board books, soft fabric or tactile books, early readers, read-alongs, audiobooks, magazines, storytimes at the Library, big brothers or sisters reading to them… Any form of reading your little one is exposed to counts!
GHAL also uses Beanstack® for the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge to help caregivers and their little one(s) an easy platform to keep track of their progress. Children earn virtual badges as goals are reached and are rewarded with free books of their own and a yearly celebration.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is completely self-paced, but the more time spent reading aloud to precious littles one(s), the more you both get out of it— strengthening bonds and establishing a reading routine are just two examples.
1000 books may seem like a monumental task; however, we’ve broken it down. Reading one book per day for a year is 365 books, after 2 years it’s 730 books. Before the end of year three, the goal of 1,000 is met! But, let’s be honest. Parents know kids don’t let them get away with just one book or just one time. Chances are they’ve been charmed into 2, 3, 4… “just one more” even if it’s the same book over and over. Children love repetition, and it’s great for their developing brains.
If you’d like more information about this program, stop by or contact the Children’s Department at GHAL.