Idaho Falls Third Graders Crowned State READBowl Champions

Tiffany Nielsen's class logged over 75,000 minutes of reading to win the state title in the annual literacy competition.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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A third-grade class at Cloverdale Elementary School in Idaho Falls has been named the Idaho state champions of the 9th annual READBowl, a four-week global literacy competition inspired by the excitement of the NFL playoffs. The class, led by teacher Tiffany Nielsen, logged an astonishing 75,603 minutes of reading over the course of the challenge, averaging 3,600 minutes per student.

Why it matters

The READBowl competition was created by former NFL player Malcom Mitchell to promote childhood literacy. Nielsen's class embraced the football-themed challenge, using their existing excitement for the sport to fuel their reading. The victory represents a classroom culture where literacy is seen as an exciting, community-driven activity.

The details

Nielsen's third-grade students at Cloverdale Elementary in Idaho Falls participated in the READBowl competition, which tracks both in-school and out-of-school reading minutes over a four-week period. The class logged an average of 3,600 minutes per student, for a total of 75,603 minutes, earning them the Idaho state championship. The students were already engaged in football-themed learning at the start of the school year, which helped them embrace the READBowl challenge.

  • The READBowl competition ran for four weeks leading up to Super Bowl Sunday on February 8, 2026.
  • Nielsen's class began the school year by fantasy drafting NFL teams and tracking their progress throughout the season.

The players

Tiffany Nielsen

A third-grade teacher at Cloverdale Elementary School in Idaho Falls who led her class to victory in the READBowl competition.

Malcom Mitchell

A former New England Patriots player and Super Bowl champion who founded the Share the Magic Foundation and created the READBowl literacy competition.

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What they’re saying

“When we came back from break, I said, 'OK, we are going to start this new challenge.' They were all on board.”

— Tiffany Nielsen, Third-grade teacher (EastIdahoNews.com)

“One of their journaling prompts was, 'What did I learn from the READBowl?' One of my students said, 'For the first time, I realized that I could enjoy reading.'”

— Tiffany Nielsen, Third-grade teacher (EastIdahoNews.com)

What’s next

The class will be honored at a school assembly and may receive additional recognition from the state or the READBowl organizers.

The takeaway

This victory demonstrates how engaging students through familiar interests like sports can help foster a love of reading and learning. Nielsen's class proved that with dedication, teamwork, and a creative approach, even struggling readers can become passionate about literacy.