Transcript Reading Incentive Programs

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Title Trekking
Reading Incentive Programs
Julie Foote
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Reading incentive programs…
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Promote reading!
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Encourage kids to read for pleasure outside of school
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Allows for healthy competition between students
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Typically consist of:
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A list of acceptable and suggested books
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A form of assessment to make sure kids are doing the reading
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A tracking system
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Recognition and/or a set of rewards
Things to Consider
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How
do you motivate good readers to keep reading?
How
do you get reluctant readers to participate?
Attitude
vs. behaviors
Established
How
program vs. custom program
do you keep kids reading after the rewards stop?
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Pizza Hut BOOK IT!
National Reading Incentive Program
www.bookitprogram.com
 Started in 1985
 Over 10 million K-6 students
participate each year
 Runs from October through
March every school year
 Promotes reading in school
and at home
 Teachers set goals for each
student individually
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Pizza Hut BOOK IT!
 “Motivate children to read by rewarding their reading
accomplishments with praise, recognition, and fun!”
 Teachers work with students to set goals for each month
 Goals can be set for either the number of books, number of pages,
or number of minutes spent reading
 Each month that the goal is met, students receive reward certificates
provided by Pizza Hut
 Students bring certificates to any Pizza Hut for a free Personal Pan
Pizza, backpack clip, and BOOK IT! card
 Pizza Hut manager and staff congratulate each student that shows
their reward certificate
 Students that meet their goals every month receive special prizes at
the end of the program
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Pizza Hut BOOK IT!
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Pros
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Individual goals allow
students to read at their own
pace and level
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Students get to choose what
books to read
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Students can celebrate their
achievement with their
family once a month
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Cons
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Rewards reading with food
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Extra work for the teacher or
librarian
Similar Programs
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McDonald’s “All-American
Reading Challenge”
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Toys ‘R’ Us “Geoffrey’s
Reading Railroad”
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Get Caught Reading
Sponsored by Association American Publishers
 Nationwide program intended to
remind all readers that reading is
FUN!
 Celebrity involvement shows kids
that reading is fun and cool
 Embraced by teachers and
librarians across the country
 May is Get Caught Reading month
but the program can be promoted all
year round
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Get Caught Reading
www.getcaughtreading.org
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No physical reward for reading
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Students get excited by seeing posters of their favorite
singers, actors, athletes, and characters acting as reading
role models
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Teachers or librarians can create Get Caught Reading
posters of people in their school community to promote
reading within and outside the school
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Completely flexible program – children are encouraged to
read any books or magazines
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No quizzes to fill out, no journal entries to write – the focus is
solely on the joy of reading
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Get Caught Reading
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Pros
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Students have positive
reading role models
Students are inspired to
read, not bribed
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Freedom to choose what
they’d like to read
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No quizzes
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No required journals or
book logs
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Anticipation or hope of
being in their own Get
Caught Reading poster
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Cons
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No formal program structure
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No way to know if students
are actually reading
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Program website does not
provide reading suggestions
Title Trekking
Reading incentive program created by a librarian at
North Country School
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+ Title Trekking
 Idea inspired by climbers in the Adirondacks
 46 peaks, 46 books
 Aims to instill a lifelong passion for reading in each
student
 Works in tandem with the school curriculum, focusing
on popular books
 Follows private school students from grade 4 through
graduation (9th grade)
 One set of books for the whole school that is updated
twice a year
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Title Trekking
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“Lower elevations” are easier, “higher elevations” for Young
Adult or Adult books
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Does not assign a grade level to any book so that students
are encouraged to choose any title within their limits
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Students can read them during the school year or over the
summer
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Every accomplishment is posted in the library and in the
English classrooms
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Students must make an entry in their Title Trekking journal
after finishing a book
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Title Trekking
 Students can earn prizes along the way – like restaurant gift certificates,
bookstore gift certificates – as extra incentive
 At the end of each year, librarian holds a party for students who have read
a certain number of books.
 Small group of “Literary 46’ers”
 As of 2006, only 14 students (and a few teachers) had accomplished the
goal in the program’s 16 years history
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Title Trekking
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Pros
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Cons
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Allows students to read at
their own pace and set their
own goals
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If a student is only interested
in one genre, they’ll be
hesitant to branch out
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One list of ”popular” books
engages all interests
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Journaling
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Lots of work for librarians
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Struggle to publicize and
entice
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Program tailored to the
student body
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Encourages students to try
different genres and styles
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Gives students a sense of
accomplishment
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Competition and challenge
Typical Results of Reading
Incentive Programs
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-- Generally increases the amount of reading done
by students
-- May result in reading for speed and results
instead of reading for pleasure, understanding, and
gaining of knowledge
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Other Reading Incentive Programs
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Let’s Read. Let’s Move.
Reach Out and Read
Book Adventure
Accelerated Reader
Read Across America
Junior Great Books
Books Program
McDonald’s “All-American Reading Challenge”
Toys ‘R’ Us “Geoffrey’s Reading Railroad”
Battle of the Books
Book Fairs
More Resources
 Sizzling Summer Reading Programs for Young Adults by Katharine L.
Kan – Provides 50 examples of successful summer reading programs
that public libraries across the country have implemented.
 The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by
Donalyn Miller – An inspiring book written by a middle school
reading teacher. Gives advice on how to turn any child into an avid
reader by matching them with books that interest and excite them so
they’ll want to read on.
 Reviving Reading: School Library Programming, Author Visits, and
+ Books that Rock! By Alison M.G. Follos -- A private school librarian
writes about her experience getting kids to read. Provides advice and
suggestions for fellow librarians on how to implement long-term
reading activities, host visiting authors, and fundraise.
** Title Trekking