Battle of the Books, America’s #1, nationwide, reading incentive program, has launched at Monte Vista Elementary for the 2020/21 school year. The purpose of Battle of the Books (BOB) is simply to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers. Your children may be coming home with new books, book lists, story maps and excitement about battles in March. Here is a short explanation of Battle of the Books for Monte Vista parents so you can share in your children’s reading and battling excitement.
Who Participates: All 3-6 graders are invited to participate and are assigned to a BOB team.
Teams: Each student will be put on a BOB team, which consists of 4-5 students in their class. Each team has a diversity of reading levels between students.
Book Lists: There is a 20 book list for 3rd-4th graders and a 20 book list for 5th-6th graders. These book lists are generated each year by the Battle of the Books organization and contain a mix of classics and new literature. Each student was given a laminated book mark listing the 20 books for their grade. Book lists can also be found on the links below.
Book Assignment: Teachers assigned 4-5 BOB books to each student based on their reading level. Students are encouraged to read the books they were assigned. However, we encourage students to read any (or all) of the books they were not assigned. The more books team members read, the stronger the team will be during the battles in March.
Reading: BOB books may be read individually by the student, by a parent as a read-a-loud, or listened to as an audio book. Once your child completes the book, they will fill out a story map and receive reading incentive prizes (raffle ticket for a weekly prize mobile drawing, book buttons, prize from the BOB prize alley).
Battle Week: The 2020/21 March Madness battle week is March 22-26. With the help of parent volunteers and teachers, 3rd and 4th grade teams will battle Monday and Tuesday mornings. 5th and 6th grade teams will battle Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Based on points earned, the top two teams from each group will advance to the final battle on Friday, which will take place during a BOB school assembly.
Battles: Each battle consists of two teams and a judge who will ask 20 questions about any of the 20 books on the BOB book list. The team must answer with both book title and author to get full points for the question. Partial points are given for a correct title but an incorrect author (or visa versa).
Sportsmanship: In addition to motivating reading and a love for books, BOB teaches sportsmanship. Losing is hard. Every battle will result in a winner and loser. Participation in Battle of the Books gives the students opportunities to develop stronger sportsmanship skills.
Grand Prize: 60 students will be given the opportunity to attend an in-school fieldtrip on March 21st to Obstacle Warrior Kids in Sandy. These 60 students will include students who: advanced to the final battle (4 teams), read all 20 books, or showed good sportsmanship and/or leadership.
We are excited to have Battle of the Books at Monte Vista for many years to come. This reading program has the ability to increase the reading skills and love of books of our children. Any questions you may have regarding Battle of the Books may be directed to Becca Sorensen at Becca_sue0415@yahoo.com You can also find more information about Battle of the Books at their website: battleofthebooks.org