One of the things teachers appreciate about BOOK IT! is that they can set the reading goals. For example, teachers can set goals for each student in the class or for the class as a whole. They can vary the goals from month to month. They can build their goals around specific themes or read-aloud time. This flexibility means that all children, from pre-readers to accomplished readers, can benefit from participation in the BOOK IT! Program. Here are some other goal-setting ideas:

• Who Doesn't Love Read-Aloud Time! Besides being entertaining, read-aloud time inspires children to become independent readers, enriches their vocabulary, introduces them to different kinds of literature, stimulates discussion, and much more. That's why we think read-aloud time should be part of your students' monthly BOOK IT! reading goals. For example, you can introduce read-aloud time into the program by reading to your students in October. Then in November you can invite volunteer parents to read to them. In December you can set aside time for older students to read to younger students, and so forth. You can vary the reading materials--novels, short stories, poetry, plays, and articles--from month to month to add variety and fun to read-aloud time.
• Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Include newspapers in your reading goals. Many newspapers have a special kids' page with book reviews and stories written by children, jokes and riddles, fun facts, and current events. Newspaper articles are also a great read-aloud opportunity for you and your students. And don't forget the comics page as a way to encourage reluctant readers.
• How Many Books Did You Read? If you set goals by number of books read, challenge your young readers by increasing the number of books they read each month of the program. This will work for both individual students or the class as a whole. You can then challenge other classes at your grade level to see which class can read the most books. (This type of goal setting can work for pages and minutes read, too.)
• Author! Author! Use BOOK IT! to expose your students to a variety of authors and writing styles. Choose six authors, one for each month of the program, and then divide your students into six groups. At the beginning of each month, assign a different author to each group and have students read one or more books by that author. At the end of the program, every child will have read a book by all six authors. Ask students to vote for their favorite author.
• Home Sweet Home. Use BOOK IT! to establish a daily reading habit at home. Assign students and parents to read together at home Monday through Thursday for 20 minutes a night. Staple a tracking sheet to the daily homework folder and require a signature back the next school day. This structured approach will help parents stick to a reading schedule throughout the school year and over the summer vacation.
• Lights! Camera! Action! Assign an oral book review to each student as one of the monthly BOOK IT! goals. Ask a parent volunteer to videotape the reviews, which can be shown on a special occasion and/or given to the school library to help other students decide what books they'd like to read.