Getting Kids Reading: A Guide (part 2)

(if you missed part one, click here)

Rewards and Dangling Carrots

Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.- Maya Angelou

This quote is true. I have also found that any motivating factor to get a kid reading is also good. Motivating kids in second grade is incredibly easy, so when I speak of these dangling carrots, remember that my strategies may not work in all grades.

One great thing about my school has been the inception of Scholastic Reading Counts. Whether you agree with reading programs or not, this computer based tool has kids reading all over our school.

The basis of the program is kids read, kids take quizzes on what they read, and kids rack up points. The points really have no value unless the school ascribes value to them. For my second grade kids, setting and reaching their goal is usually enough motivation. The big motivation from the school is a big carnival for all students who reach their goals (which we set month to month).

Beyond the motivation of the school, there is much more that can be done to get kids reading. Each year I have thrown my kids a huge party when they reach 1 million words read as a class. This year, my students reached that goal much too soon, so I upped the ante. They have to reach 4 million (yeah I know, big jump), and here in January they are already over the 3 million word mark.

I also set little rewards throughout the month that really get the kids fired up and reading. I will give out various passes as rewards (homework, class movie, extra recess, eat in the classroom, etc.). These little touches of flavor can do a lot to get kids reading.

The last bit I have to say has to do with competition. I am a believer in healthy competition. The way we do this at school is to compete at each grade level for a traveling trophy. The class with the most reading points gets to keep the trophy for the month. This was a cheap investment that really gets the kids excited. As the month goes on I always keep a tally of the three second grade classes. The kids love to see if they are ahead or if they need to get moving. They watch these numbers closely and talk about them with the other classes at lunch, recess, and other times they pass. The competition is motivating for all the kids.

The Ongoing Results (keeping kids reading after your job is done)

The last point I want to make is simply this, if you invest intentionally in getting kids reading when they are in your class, you will also be able to influence their reading beyond your class. Confusing? What I am saying is, if you are an active participant in kids reading (asking them about their books, finding them book you know they will like, finding cool projects they can do, encouraging them push the limits), they will value your opinion when they return the next school year. For the past two years, I have students returning to my class to borrow books, and asking what book they should read next. They will still share what their books are about, because they have become book lovers. A book lover will always seek out another book lover who shares their passion. If you do not have this passion, you are irrelevant in a way that matters so much. The ongoing benefits of pouring yourself out, to get kids reading, will not always produce the quick results we love to see. The ripples from this work are subtle, but resilient. Your effects will flow through all areas of learning. You will create kids who can multiply passion, and the end result of that, you can never measure.