Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs, answers to some frequently asked questions:
1. How does a school or organization register for the Wow Reading Challenge?
If you live in Pictou or Antigonish Counties, you can register for the WOW! Reading Challenge by emailing Karen MacNeill at the New Glasgow Library at
Required information:
- School name
- Elementary School, Junior High School, or High School
- County the school is located
- Total number of students (Note: all students must be registered so we need the total number of students in the facility)
- Email address for the contact person for the school.
An email containing the password for the WOW! Reading Challenge website will be sent back to the contact person. The number of books read or pages read each month can then be entered.
2. What constitutes a book at the elementary level?
Whatever book the student is reading, as long as it is at his or her reading level, will count. For example, picture books at the primary level count for those students, and chapter books count for Grade 6 students since that is their level. However, a teacher can decide the level of the reader and as long as they are reading or trying to read books at their appropriate level the books read count in the overall total for the school. Magazines and newspapers do count as a book during the Reading Challenge. If a teacher reads a book to a class that counts as one book, not one book for each student. If you are recording timed reading 1 hour equals 50 pages or 1 book. Reading the same book twice counts at the discretion of the teacher.
3. What if a student wants to read a book with a lot of pages but feels they are not helping the school because it is counted as one book?
For every 50 pages a student reads in a chapter book that counts as one book for the school. If a student reads a book with 300 pages that actually counts as 6 books for the school. If it is between 300-349 pages it is still 6 books, but if it is between 350 and 400 pages it is counted as 7 books.
4. How do we know the student actually read the book?
Where this challenge is based on trust it is up to the teachers at the elementary school level to know what their students are reading and if they doubt that the student is reading the books they are listing on their logs they can ask them questions about the book. The students are quick to learn that if they say they read a book then they should actually read it. The log books can be printed of our web site at www.fightingcrime.ca if you wish to have some for your class. At the Junior High and High School Level, as well as other levels outside of the elementary division both students as well as teachers are required to have an information sheet signed off by one of the other group. For example, if a student reads a book, they then must find a teacher to fill out the information sheet (asking the student certain questions in relation to the book read), then the teacher returns the sheet to the student, and vice versa if a teacher reads a book. These information sheets can be printed of our website at www.fightingcrime.ca
5. What happens if I make a mistake entering the numbers?
Email Karen MacNeill at
6. How do we track what the students have read?
Schools do this differently. Some use the reading logs that are available at www.fightingcrime.ca. These are fine for students that can print or write their own titles down. Some classrooms, especially for the younger grades, use a wall chart of some form or the teachers keep track of the books the students read. Then each class simply sends the totals to the office at the end of each month with a student and the person assigned to enter the numbers on the website totals them and enters them. Some schools in the past have built rocket ships where every 100 books the school reads they add a piece of the ship to the puzzle, some have built dragons, some have used other graphs, etc. So really, each school is individual and each school motivates their students in their own way.
7. Who enters the data (number of books read) from the participating schools?
Each school that joins the WOW! Reading Challenge is responsible for entering their own data. At the time you register, you will be emailed a password that will give the school access the AAL website, where you can enter the number of books read. This password should be given to one person.
8. What if I forget the password?
Email Karen MacNeill at
9. Who can we get to partner with us locally?
Locally you can have partners such as the RCMP or local police, if they have a person available and are willing to participate. You can have the local library, Rotary Clubs, Wal-Mart, Lions Clubs, the Kinsmen, or any other group or store participate. But you have to approach them and ask them to be part of your team.
