Creating a culture of reading in schools takes more than just providing books—it requires motivation, engagement, and a bit of friendly competition. At Beanstack, we’ve developed a simple yet powerful 3-step reading motivation playbook to help schools ignite a love for reading and keep students turning pages all year long:
1. Set a collective goal for your district, school, or class to achieve together.
2. Use friendly competition to inspire students to work toward that goal.
3. Provide recognition and incentives to celebrate progress and keep the excitement going.
With these steps in mind, hosting reading challenges throughout the school year becomes a fantastic way to build reading habits and foster a school-wide reading culture. Here are some upcoming Beanstack challenges that you can use to kick off your reading journey.
Fall 2024
Kicking off fall reading challenges is a great way to jumpstart students’ enthusiasm for reading. With new books, friendly competition, and engaging themes, these challenges help students build stronger reading habits while fostering a sense of community. Plus, fall reading challenges can set the tone for a year of increased literacy and learning.
September-June: 2024–2025 School Year Reading Challenge
The year-long reading challenge helps schools track reading progress and foster long-term growth through friendly competition between classes, grades, or schools. Encourage students to log their reading consistently and aim to beat their personal best each month. This year’s theme, The Great Escape, highlights how books can transport readers to new places, ideas, and perspectives—sparking discovery and self-reflection.
August: Back to School (August 1 – August 31, 2024)
Kick off the school year by getting students excited about reading. The Back to School Challenge serves as an icebreaker for students to explore new genres, share recommendations, and start the year strong. Use this challenge to set a reading goal for the month and build momentum for the year ahead.
September: Fall Into Reading (September 1 – September 30, 2024)
As the season changes, this challenge encourages students to "fall" into their next great read. It’s a perfect way to build excitement around new books as students settle into their routines. Create themed reading lists for autumn and offer incentives for meeting reading goals by the end of the month.
September: Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15, 2024)
Celebrate Hispanic culture by encouraging students to read books by Hispanic and Latinx authors. The Hispanic Heritage Month Challenge can include reading lists highlighting diverse voices and stories, allowing students to learn and explore different perspectives through literature.
October: Hallow-Read (October 1 – October 31, 2024)
In October, make reading spooky and fun with the Hallow-Read Challenge. Encourage students to dive into mystery and adventure books as they work toward completing reading goals. Whether it’s reading scary stories or exploring magical worlds, this challenge adds a festive twist to reading.
November: Read Grateful (November 1 – November 30, 2024)
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Read Grateful Challenge encourages students to reflect on what they’re thankful for through themed reading. Whether it's stories of kindness, gratitude, or family, this challenge can inspire students to think deeply while continuing to build their reading habits.
Winter 2025
Winter reading challenges offer a perfect opportunity to keep students engaged and motivated during the colder months. With more time spent indoors, these challenges help maintain and strengthen reading habits while providing a fun and rewarding way to combat the winter slump. They also encourage a love of reading that carries through the rest of the school year.
December: Reading Wrap-Up (December 1 – December 31, 2024)
As the year ends, encourage students to reflect on their reading journey with the Reading Wrap-Up Challenge. Challenge them to finish books they’ve started or dive into a few new ones before the year ends. This is a great opportunity to reward students for reaching their annual reading goals.
January: Winter Reading 2025 (January 1 – January 31, 2025)
Winter is perfect for students to cozy up with a good book. A winter reading challenge encourages students to stay warm by reading during their holiday break and throughout the cold months. It’s a great way to keep students engaged during the long winter days. Plus, schools can compete to earn cash prizes by participating in the Beanstack Sponsored Reading Challenge!
February: For the Love of Reading (February 1 – February 28, 2025)
Celebrate the love of books with the For the Love of Reading Challenge in February. This challenge encourages students to read what they love—whether it’s their favorite author, a beloved series, or a new genre. Let students share their book “crushes” and help spread the love of reading throughout the school.
February: Black History Month (February 1 – February 28, 2025)
The Black History Month Challenge allows students to explore stories written by Black authors or featuring Black history and culture. Curate reading lists that align with the theme and encourage students to reflect on what they’ve learned by engaging in group discussions or projects.
Spring 2025
Spring reading challenges provide students with a welcome break from the pressures of testing season. As a fun and engaging way to relieve stress, these challenges encourage students to escape into new books while reinforcing the reading habits they've developed throughout the year. Spring reading challenges are also great for students to stay motivated and build excitement for summer reading.
March: Read Across America (March 1 – March 31, 2025)
Celebrate Dr. Seuss and the joy of reading in March with the Read Across America Challenge. This national reading movement inspires students to enjoy reading through themed days, dress-up events, and activities that bring books to life. Challenge students to read as many books as they can throughout the month.
April: Spring Into Reading (April 1 – April 30, 2025)
As the weather warms up, inspire students to "spring" into reading with this seasonal challenge. Encourage outdoor reading, create spring-themed reading lists, and track progress as students work toward their goals. Recognize students for participating and growing their reading skills.
May: Teacher Appreciation Month (May 1 – May 31, 2025)
Show appreciation for the educators who foster a love for reading by hosting the Teacher Appreciation Month Challenge. Encourage students to read books that celebrate teachers and mentors, or have them dedicate their reading achievements to a favorite teacher.
Summer 2025
By offering fun and motivating ways to explore books, these Summer challenges keep students’ minds active, promote consistent learning, and ensure they're ready to hit the ground running when the new school year begins.
June–July: Summer Reading Challenge (June 1 – July 31, 2025)
Keep students engaged over the break with the Beanstack Summer Reading Challenge. This two-month challenge is a fun way to prevent the “summer slide” and encourage students to keep reading even when school is out. Offer rewards for completing summer reading goals, like a fall book fair or reading celebration.
Create Custom Reading Challenges With Ease
In addition to the reading challenges highlighted above, Beanstack provides hundreds of ready-to-use templates and the flexibility to create your own. Designing custom reading challenges is seamless and user-friendly, allowing you to easily tailor each challenge to fit your community’s needs. With just a few clicks, you can design a challenge tailored to your community's unique goals, from setting reading milestones to tracking real-time progress. The platform offers flexible options for badges, rewards, and themes, making it easy to engage readers of all ages and encourage a love of reading.
Keep Students Reading All Year Long
These reading challenges are more than just fun—they’re a proven way to build a strong school reading culture. Setting collective goals, fostering friendly competition, and recognizing students' achievements will boost reading habits and create lifelong readers. Let Beanstack help you bring these ideas to life and turn your school into a community of passionate readers.