KCK students to 'battle' over books

News Release:

It will be one massive book club gathering! On Saturday, November 17, nearly 280 students in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools will come together for a morning of conversation and competition around books they have been reading since the start of the school year.

This is the first year for the district’s Battle of the Books event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Central Office and Training Center and F.L. Schlagle High School.

Battle of the Books is a voluntary incentive reading program for students in grades 3 through 12.  Students read books from a selected list and come together to demonstrate their abilities, and test their knowledge of the books they have completed through a series of competitions. It is based on the national program, America’s Battle of the Books.

Sue Pierce, secondary curriculum coordinator, and Victoria Luhrs, teacher leader at Arrowhead Middle School, are coordinators of the event.

“The program supports our curriculum standards at all grade levels,” Pierce said. “It supports everything we are trying to do in the classroom around reading, listening and speaking.”

Groups of 8 to 10 students from 28 of the district’s schools (elementary, middle and high school) will take part. The groups have been working with a “coach” at their schools, preparing for the competition by reading as many of the 10 books from their provided list as possible.

At the competition, they will participate in three different events to answer questions about the books they have read.

The events will include: a Family Feud style event with two teams; a Super Challenge with three to four teams competing to answer questions; and a Relay where students race to a question area, and must answer the question correctly to complete their leg of the race.

First through third place winners will be named. First place winners will receive medals and second and third place teams will receive ribbons. The top performing school also will be recognized.

School teams have been preparing for the “battle” by holding reading clubs before or after school to read and talk about their reading. And many are creating chants or themes to represent them at the event. Let the competition begin!