Oklahoma City, Monday, Sept. 10, 2018 – In recognition of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s mission to emphasize the importance of literacy, the team today encouraged teachers to sign up for its 10th annual Thunder Reading Challenge, presented by American Fidelity.
All Oklahoma teachers for kindergarten through third-grade students are invited to join the program, which seeks to inspire young students to develop good reading habits and a love of reading.
Students track their time spent reading throughout the school year, and the Thunder awards the top monthly reader in each classroom with a Thunder-themed prize and certificate. At the end of the school year, the Thunder recognizes four students statewide as the top readers for each grade level with a Thunder-autographed item and plaque. The top overall winner also receives a Rumble assembly for the school.
“Our Reading Challenge is designed to use the excitement of Thunder Basketball to fuel a passion for reading in kids across Oklahoma,” said Christine Berney, Thunder vice president of Community Relations. “Literacy is one of our main areas of focus in community outreach because good reading habits can open so many doors for success.”
During the 2017-18 school year, more than 51,000 Oklahoma students in over 2,300 classrooms tracked their reading as part of the challenge, logging the equivalent of nearly 24,000 days of reading.
The Reading Challenge has been part of the Thunder Read to Achieve initiative since the 2009-10 school year. Teachers interested in taking part in the Reading Challenge can register their classrooms through okcthunder.com/readingchallenge. Registration closes on Sunday, Sept. 30.
ABOUT THE THUNDER READING CHALLENGE: The Thunder Reading Challenge is part of the Thunder Read to Achieve initiative, presented by American Fidelity Assurance Company. The program, which is open to kindergarten through third-grade classrooms, challenges young readers to develop good reading habits and a love of reading. Students track their minutes throughout the school year, and the Thunder honors top classroom readers every month and top overall winners at the end of the year.
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