Enter the first day of reading and this tool builds a dated plan, from board approval eight weeks out to the thank-you notes after the money is in. You can add every step to your own calendar, print the plan, print a reading calendar for each reader, or copy the plan as text to paste into an email.
How the dates are built
The tool counts backward and forward from your first reading day using four inputs: First day of reading, Reading period, Planning time before kickoff and Money due after reading ends. The optional Event name appears on the printouts and at the start of each calendar entry. The start date is pre-filled with the first Monday at least eight weeks from today whose reading period, and the two weeks before it when the parent letter goes home, avoid Thanksgiving week and the late-December-to-early-January break; if that Monday is a holiday, it starts on the next school day. If the dates you choose overlap a break, a federal Monday holiday, spring break season or summer, the plan says so.
The tool treats a school day as a weekday that is not one of these: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, or December 20 to January 3. That is an approximation every district departs from somewhere, so add your own exceptions under Dates you are closed: spring break, teacher workdays, conference days or any other day off. Each closure can be one day or a range. The plan treats those days exactly like a holiday, says which steps moved, and keeps them only on this page; nothing is saved or sent.
Before reading starts: eight weekly steps
| Weeks before kickoff | Step | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Get approval, lock the dates, name the treasurer | Prepare |
| 7 | Name the goal and what it pays for | Prepare |
| 6 | Set the budget and recognition plan | Prepare |
| 5 | Brief teachers and recruit helpers | Prepare |
| 4 | Prepare materials | Prepare |
| 3 | Plan the kickoff and the finale | Prepare |
| 2 | Send the parent letter home | Launch |
| 1 | Readers start asking supporters | Launch |
Each step lands that many weeks before the first reading day. Because these are school-facing tasks, a step that falls on a weekend, a holiday or winter break moves to the last school day before it, and the plan tells you when winter break pushed steps together.
During and after reading
- Kickoff: reading starts on your first reading day. If that day is not a school day, reading can still start at home and the plan tells you to hold the in-school kickoff on the next school day.
- First check-in two days later (reading periods of 4 days or more).
- Halfway update at the midpoint: first day + half the reading days, rounded down (periods of 7 days or more).
- Final push two days before the last day (periods of 5 days or more).
- Last day of reading.
- Logs due two school days after the last day, with a reminder to families to send per-minute supporters their final amount.
- Money due your chosen number of days after the last day (9 by default), moved to the next school day if needed and never less than three school days after logs are due.
- Celebrate and announce the total three days after the money deadline, on the next school day if that is a weekend or holiday.
- Thank-yous, receipts and a handoff note a week after the money deadline, also on a school day.
The check-in, halfway update and final push move to the school day before if they would land on a weekend or holiday. The reading days themselves include weekends, because reading at home counts every day.
Shorter lead times
Planning time can be 8 weeks (recommended), 6, 4 or 3. With less than 8 weeks, any step that would come earlier than your lead time is pulled forward to the start of your planning window and marked compressed. Those steps all land in the same week, so the badge tells you which decisions must be made together. Any step whose date has already passed is marked past, and a note above the plan tells you to do it this week or move the start date.
Choosing your inputs
| Input | Options | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| First day of reading | Any date | A Monday makes the weekly steps fall on school days |
| Reading period | 1 week, 10 days, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks | One to three weeks suits most groups; two weeks is the common middle |
| Planning time before kickoff | 8 weeks (recommended), 6, 4 (tight) or 3 (rushed) | 8 if you can; 4 or fewer only if decisions are already made. For the minimum plan, choose 3 weeks with a 1-week reading period. |
| Money due after reading ends | 7 days, 9 days (recommended), 12 days, 16 days | Logs are due two school days after reading ends, and 9 days puts money about a week after that. Longer lets more pledges go stale. |
| Dates you are closed | Optional; one day or a range, as many as you need | Copy them from your district calendar before you print. Days off you don't add are not known to the tool. |
| Event name | Optional, up to 60 characters | Use the name families will see on the letter |
Choosing the reading period
A week works for a first event or a busy school. Two weeks gives families two weekends to read and to ask supporters. Three weeks suits a library or an at-home event where families need more time. Momentum tends to fade in a fourth week, so plan a midpoint boost if you choose one. Whatever you pick, check the school calendar for testing windows, breaks and holidays, and avoid running into another fundraiser. A reading period that crosses a school break loses classroom reading time and reminders.
Worked example
Example An example school picks Monday, February 1, 2027 as the first reading day, a 2-week reading period, 8 weeks of planning and money due 9 days after reading ends (the default). The reading period runs 14 days, February 1 to February 14 (1 + 14 − 1 = day 14).
| Date | Step | How it's calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Dec 7 | Get approval, lock the dates, name the treasurer | Feb 1 − 8 weeks |
| Mon, Dec 14 | Name the goal and what it pays for | Feb 1 − 7 weeks |
| Fri, Dec 18 | Set the budget and recognition plan | Feb 1 − 6 weeks = Dec 21, in winter break, so the last school day before |
| Fri, Dec 18 | Brief teachers and recruit helpers | Feb 1 − 5 weeks = Dec 28, in winter break, so the last school day before |
| Mon, Jan 4 | Prepare materials | Feb 1 − 4 weeks |
| Mon, Jan 11 | Plan the kickoff and the finale | Feb 1 − 3 weeks |
| Fri, Jan 15 | Send the parent letter home | Feb 1 − 2 weeks = Jan 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so the school day before |
| Mon, Jan 25 | Readers start asking supporters | Feb 1 − 1 week |
| Mon, Feb 1 | Kickoff: reading starts | First day |
| Wed, Feb 3 | First check-in | Feb 1 + 2 days |
| Mon, Feb 8 | Halfway update | Feb 1 + (14 ÷ 2 = 7) days |
| Fri, Feb 12 | Final push | Feb 14 − 2 days |
| Sun, Feb 14 | Last day of reading | Day 14 |
| Wed, Feb 17 | Logs due | Two school days after Feb 14 (Mon, Feb 15 is Presidents' Day) |
| Tue, Feb 23 | Money due | Feb 14 + 9 days |
| Fri, Feb 26 | Celebrate and announce the total | Feb 23 + 3 days |
| Tue, Mar 2 | Thank-yous, receipts and a handoff note | Feb 23 + 7 days |
Three dates moved in this plan, and the tool's note explains each one. Two December planning steps fall in winter break, so they share Friday, December 18, the last school day before it; the plan's note suggests doing them earlier. The parent letter would go home on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so it moves to the Friday before. Logs are due Wednesday because Monday, February 15 is Presidents' Day. If you choose 7 days for money instead, the deadline would be Sunday, February 21, so the tool puts it on Monday, February 22.
The same event with only 4 weeks of planning puts the first four steps (approval and the treasurer, goal, budget and teacher briefing) on Monday, January 4, alongside preparing materials. The first four are marked compressed.
The printable reader calendar
Print reader calendar prints a one-page calendar with a box for every reading day. The page has a line for the reader's name or initials and a minutes goal. Each day box shows the date, with blanks for minutes and initials. A total line and a grown-up's initials line run along the bottom. It carries your event name if you entered one. Our undated 2-week reading log PDF and the other printables work for any year.
Adding the plan to your calendar
Add to my calendar (.ics) downloads a file named read-a-thon-plan.ics with every step as an all-day event. Each entry's description holds the details shown in the plan. Calendar apps import it rather than open it:
- Google Calendar: on a computer, open Settings, choose Import and export, then Import, and pick the file. Choose which calendar to add the events to.
- Apple Calendar: on a Mac, choose File, then Import, and select the file. On an iPhone, opening the file from Files or Mail offers to add the events.
- Outlook: open the file, or use the import option in your version of Outlook to add it to a calendar.
Importing creates a copy. If you change the start date later, delete the old events and import a new file. Use Copy as text to paste the plan into an email to your board, one line per step with its date.
Method note: The dates come from fixed offsets applied to the start date you choose, as described above. The timing of each step is planning advice drawn from how school events run, not research. Check every date against your own school, library or organization calendar.
Privacy
The planner runs in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent. The .ics file is created on your device and goes only where you put it.
Next steps
- Turn these dates into a full printable plan with timeline, budget, roles and print list.
- Work through each phase with the read-a-thon planning checklist.
- Write the parent letter and supporter messages from our read-a-thon letter templates.
- Set up counting, deposits and receipts before the money deadline with our donations and receipts guide.
- Give families a private way to log minutes with the reading minutes tracker.
- See how all the pieces fit in the read-a-thon fundraiser guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the planner if my event starts in less than three weeks?
Yes, but the plan will show several steps as past. The shortest planning option is 3 weeks (choose a 1-week reading period with it for the minimum plan), and any step dated before today is marked past with a note to do it this week. If more than a couple of steps are past, consider moving the start date back. Approval, the goal and the parent letter are the steps you can't skip.
Why is money due 9 days after reading ends?
Logs are due two school days after reading ends, and families need about a week after that to tell per-minute supporters their final amount and collect it. Nine days covers both, and pledges get harder to collect the longer they wait, so send the final amounts while the event is fresh. You can choose 7, 12 or 16 days instead. A longer window helps if many supporters live far away and pay by check; either way, send families one reminder before the deadline.
Does the planner know our school holidays?
No. It doesn't know your school calendar, testing windows or local holidays. It only moves preparation steps and the last two wrap-up steps off weekends. Before you share the plan, compare each date with your school or organization calendar and shift the start date if a key step lands during a break or a testing week.
Can I change one date without changing the rest?
Not inside the tool, because every date is calculated from the start date. Import the .ics file or copy the plan as text, then edit individual dates in your own calendar or document. That keeps the tool's plan as a starting point while letting you adjust for a board meeting date or an assembly slot.