Liz Oakley, a third grade teacher at Lockhart Elementary in Orlando, Florida

During the Olympics, my friend and I came up with a creative way to get students excited about reading. At the beginning of February we announced a Reading Olympics. Each child has a blank chart with 20 squares on it to be put up on a bulletin board (decorated patriotically with olympic rings). Forms are sent home to the parents that say, 'My child ________ has read for 30 minutes. A book that she/he has read is __________. Signed (Parent signature).' Of course the time spent reading can be changed according to grade level and ability of the students. Each time the students bring in a form, they get a book sticker on their chart. This lasts for a month. At the end of the Olympics, if the students have read for 600 minutes (every night for 30 minutes), they will receive a gold medal; 450 minutes is a silver medal; and 300 minutes for a bronze medal. We bought the medals through a teachers' store but I have even seen them at Target. We have a big ceremony and invite parents who bring patriotic goodies. At the ceremony we give out the medals as well as certificates that state how many minutes each child has read.