Rewards for reading incentive program?

Question

I'll be working with a third grade class in our after school program this coming semester. I know last year I had a hard time getting my second graders excited about reading, so this year I'm doing a point system with the books so the kids can earn rewards.

I'm trying to stick with non-material rewards. For their big reward (1000 points) I will come to school dressed as a pirate. For one of the lesser rewards I'll teach all day with a funny accent. I need three more 'rewards', but I can't think of any! So what do you think?

Also, no candy/sweets/soda/etc. Absolutely not allowed in our program! Thanks everyone!

Answer 1

Well, that kind of incentive program will get kids to read - because they can get stuff, not because they want to read.

A much better method would be to have a large variety of books in your classroom library on many different subjects, have magazines, maps, and other texts available for them to explore.  You can hook a kid if you find what interests them - I had one little guy in my kindergarten class this year who told me he hated to read, but when I brought out my Ranger Rick magazines (even though he couldn't read them) he had one in his hand every time he was in the classroom library.  I had another little boy, same thing, said he hated reading.  Guess what?  He loves tractors.  He found my tractor board book one day.  Suddenly he's bringing in books and magazines from home about tractors.  And other machines, and then animals.  See how it builds?

Internal motivation, interest in what they're reading, is ultimately a much greater reward.  If you must have a physical incentive, make it so they can choose any book to keep if they reach a reading goal - and have them set their own goals.  Just because one child can read enough books to hit 1000 doesn't mean that every child can do it.  Do you want to crush the kid who can only earn 250 points because he has a hard time reading and thus won't do it?  Make reading the reward for reading!

Answer 2

You have great motives, here, but think about the effects of rewarding your students.

Kids who are rewarded in the manner you describe do the reading for the reward, not the enjoyment of the reading.  When the reward stops, the reading stops.

Alfie Cohn wrote a book about the dangers of rewarding kids in this manner.  Check it out.

Answer 3

You will wear a bright green man's wig to school.

(if you can find one. ^_^)

Answer 4

For the first reward, you could try letting them have an indoor "snowball" fight.  Let them throw crumpled up pieces of paper around the room for 5-10 minutes.  Of course, then they have to clean up, but you could let them make basketball shots into the trash cans.  

If hats aren't allowed in the dress code, you could have a day where they're allowed to bring a hat and wear it in the classroom.  

I don't know if you want to make it a reward, but you could allow them to bring a blanket or stuffed animals for reading time one day.

Let them wear sunglasses in class one day.

Use some sort of sticker chart to help them keep track of their goals and points.

You can buy Easy buttons from Staples.  Everytime a kid reads a book or gets a set number of points, you can have the kid hit the button and it says "That was easy!"  

Just remember to make sure that you are positive about reading and you give the kids lots of choice in selecting their reading material.  Student choice and positive encouragement are actually the most important parts of  getting kids to read.

Answer 5

Since "recess" is their favorite subject. Go with that. <}:-})