Larks Reading Program

What is the Larks Reading Program?

The Bismarck Larks Reading Program aims to promote reading and to reward students for excelling at doing such. We center this around National Reading Month (March) but can be completed on any timeline before the end of the 2024-2025 calendar school year.

Nearly 11,000 students from 50 different schools are participating this year.

Need to Knows

Information

How does it work?

The Larks Reading Program is super flexible and designed to give the power to each individual teacher so they can adjust reading goals based on their own classroom’s reading level. Teachers can also dictate the duration of the program.

In the past, teacher’s timelines for the program could range anywhere from a week-long to the whole month of March. The program is based on the concept of a baseball diamond where there are (4) reading goals. Each goal would be additional reading than the past goal (i.e. 1st goal = 15 pages, 2nd goal = 30 pages, etc). Each goal that the student hits, they receive a prize!

If a student hits a home run, they receive an out-of-the-park experience. The student will receive a folder with a scannable QR code to redeem 2 free tickets to a Larks game in the 2025 summer.

Classrooms

What do classrooms get?

Each classroom that participates will receive a Reading Program poster so the teacher can write down their classroom goals and track what students have hit each base.

The Larks will provide each classroom with enough prizes for each student in their class to hit a home run. For the home run prize, we will design a special ticket flyer, educating families on how to redeem their (2) tickets to a 2025 Bismarck Larks game.

Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible for students to redeem. All teachers will need to do is distribute the prizes to each student as they celebrate hitting each goal.

Students

How do we get students excited about this?

Each school will receive a Reading Program Kick-Off Video that uses FUN to explain the details of the program. Share this video with your students to excite them about celebrating their reading!

Schools within 50 miles of Bismarck can choose to do an assembly. The Larks will bring FUN and excitement about reading with mascots Clark the Lark and Merifeather Lewis!

What Prizes Do Students Receive?

1ST BASE: Larks Bookmark
2ND BASE: Larks Pencil
3RD BASE: Larks-Themed Folder
HOME RUN: (2) FREE Tickets to a 2025 Larks Game
Kindergarten Exclusive: Kindergarteners participating in the Reading Program receive a copy of The Adventures of Clark the Larks and Merifeather Lewis book.
- About the book: Clark the Lark and Merifeather Lewis embark on an adventure at the Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, discovering what makes Larks baseball games so special. Along the way, they meet players, entertainers, and fans who teach them valuable lessons about teamwork, confidence, resilience, and the joy of spending time with loved ones.