First-through fourth-grade students at Mahoning Elementary School District are preparing for a nationwide effort to "Read the Most Coast to Coast" on Friday.

"They are among hundreds of thousands of students who will join in this fourth-annual reading celebration," according to Marsha Long and Kelly Fritz, Mahoning reading teachers."Read the Most Coast to Coast "is a one-day event that encourages students to read as much as they can. Last school year, students nationwide set a one-day record of 4,987,949 books read.Students will also complete accelerated reader quizzes on the books.This is the second year that Mahoning students will take part in the national celebration."They are encouraged to break their record last year of 1,040,495 words read," the teachers added.The challenge comes with an exciting reward should they succeed.Mahoning's principal Aaron Sebelin agreed to an ice bucket challenge if the students break their record.All students who participate will receive a participation certificate.Students can also win special prizes for their quiz scores."Students are engaging in valuable reading practice, all while taking part in an event that joins students across the country in a collaborative effort focused on reading. The teachers and staff at Mahoning Elementary are so proud of our students," said Long and Fritz.Renaissance Learning's Accelerated Reader is a K-12 program that serves as a platform for teachers to manage independent reading practice.The web-based program provides access to over 160,000 quizzes, enabling students to choose from a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction books.During the event, Renaissance Learning will track national quizzes on its hosted database and share progress online.Educators, parents, and interested community members will be able to see progress toward the national goal at

www.renaissance.com/read-the-most.