There are several ways to know which books are a part of the Reading Counts program. Books that have yellow dots on the spine are on the 5th grade list, and books that have red dots on the spine are on the 6th grade list. The electronic card catalog tells which books belong to the program. The lists are posted on this website. The purpose of the program is to encourage students to read recreationally and to introduce students to a wide variety of literature.
Some homeroom teachers require students to earn a certain number of points each grading period.
Some homeroom teachers give extra credit for earning points. Some homeroom teachers make the program strictly voluntary for their students. If the test is not passed on the first attempt, the student must wait one day before attempting the test again. The questions are generated randomly by the computer and are rarely repeated. The students receive prizes for every 5 points earned.