Million Word Campaign

The School-Wide Literacy Program for Jefferson Middle School

“Few children learn to love books by themselves. Someone has to lure them into the wonderful world of the written word; someone has to show them the way”. -  Orville Prescott

The Million Word Campaign is a literacy strategy that unites students and staff around reading. It helps students to achieve the English Language Arts Content Standard for California that requires middle school students to read a million words annually on their own. This equates to approximately 25 grade-level books.

Student achievement is recognized throughout the school year in the following ways:

MILLION WORD CAMPAIGN READING PRIZES

All Grades	Quarterly READING Achievement certificates for hitting quarter goals Top two readers per Grade Raffle winners Grade-Level reading competition
6th & 7th Grade	READING Achievement certificate and prize awarded for completing the 25-book end-of-year goal.
8th Grade	READING Achievement certificate awarded. READING Medal Awarded as follows: Bronze medal awarded for 15-19 books read. Silver medal awarded for 20-24 books read. Gold medal for 25+ books read.

Academic Benefits

• Improves vocabulary and language skills – exposes students to new words, phrases, and sentence structures.
• Strengthens comprehension – helps students understand, interpret, and analyze text better.
• Boosts writing ability – reading models good grammar, style, and creativity.
• Enhances focus and concentration – trains the brain to stay engaged for longer periods.
• Improves test performance – strong readers often perform better across all subjects.

Personal Growth

• Builds imagination and creativity – stories spark new ideas and perspectives.
• Encourages empathy – stepping into characters’ lives helps students understand others’ feelings.
• Increases confidence – mastering books gives a sense of achievement.
• Reduces stress – reading can be calming and relaxing.
• Develops lifelong learning – inspires curiosity and love for knowledge.

Real-World Skills

• Critical thinking – analyzing plots, characters, and ideas sharpens reasoning.
• Communication skills – students express themselves more clearly in speech and writing.
• Problem-solving – exposure to different challenges in stories encourages flexible thinking.
• Cultural awareness – reading diverse books broadens perspectives and understanding of the world.
• Preparation for future success – strong literacy is tied to career and life opportunities.