Promoting the Gateway Readers Award Program

Here are some great ideas for promoting the Gateway Readers Award program from your colleagues in Missouri's school libraries!

• Buy as many copies of the books from the list as you can afford.
• Create an attractive book display and posters for the walls.
• Provide paperback copies to your English teachers for their classrooms.
• Booktalk the books.
• Provide your students with a Reading Log to track their progress! Here is a sample. (This is a pdf file, which can be opened by Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
• Phyllis Dannar says: I had the counselor hand students a list with instructions when they register for school. We keep an on-going journal in which they answer the previous student's question, write whatever they want to and at the end of their entry they pose a question.
• Jackie Hershewe says: Explain the Gateway Book Award during freshman orientation, including the booklist in your handouts or brochures.
• Jean Taylor says: Write an article about the books for your school and community newspapers.
• Put the list on your school's website.
• Have students make PowerPoint Presentations about the books and show these to other students.
• Susan Webb says: Students write a short review of a Gateway Book. I place it in a three-ring binder by title. I accumulate several reviews for each of the titles and students can refer to them when looking for something to read. Each time they turn in a completed review form, they can put their name in a drawing for food coupons, movie passes, etc.
• Terri Brunner says: Keep a three-ring binder on your desk. When kids read the books they sign their name and grade, answer a question about the book which is written by another student, rate the book 1-5 stars and then they write their own question.
• Debbie Hackman and Susan Webb meet once a month through their ITV with students from Farmington and Paris participating in book talks. They would like to expand this to other schools.
• In March hold a voting party. Any student who has read at least three books may be invited. Offer pizza, popcorn, or prizes.
• Arrange a special outing or academic medal for students who have read the entire booklist.

Disclaimer: The Missouri Association of School Librarians does not endorse nor recommend any blog discussions relating to books that are on the reading lists for the Gateway, Mark Twain, Show Me, or Truman Reading Incentive Programs.