The national contest in oral reading held each year in West Germany provides guidelines for similar contests in other countries. On a point-count system reminiscent of that used internationally for sports events, participants are rated on their oral presentation, the difficulty of the chosen work, and their comprehension of the text. Adaptation of the point system permits evaluation of oral readers performing in their second language. For successful local use of oral reading contests, the author recommends making participation voluntary, engaging nonparticipants as members of coaching teams, and attracting community interest to increase the affective rewards to the young readers. (Author)