Summer reading incentives - good or bad?

[JeanM]

My kids have done our public library's summer reading program for many years now. The program requires reading 10 books, with small toys rewarded after books 3 and 6, and a free book when they are done with the 10th book. They can read anything they want. My ds 10 is an avid reader. Ds 7 reads well, but has trouble finding books that really interest him. He would read almost unlimited amounts of comics (mostly Garfield) and graphic novels (mostly Yu Gi Oh), if we let him.

 

So the bottom line is that I suggested to my kids that we make our own summer reading program instead. You couldn't read comics for this, and it would have a higher goal. The library in a neighboring town uses time instead of number of books, but I told the kids I can't imagine trying to keep track of how much time they read. DS10 suggested that we could set a number of pages as a goal. He was thinking of something like 20,000 for himself. DS 7 even sounded interested, and did some math to figure out how many pages he though he could read (took number of pages he had read that day and multiplied by number of days in the summer). He was pretty excited about thinking about prizes. I said the prizes had to be pretty small, and ds 7 really wants an inexpensive video game (it is used and costs under $10).

 

I thought our plans were going pretty well, until we talked to DH about this. He doesn't think that we should be rewarding reading, that they should want to read anyway. OTOH, he is totally ok with them signing up for the library's summer reading program. :confused:

 

He reminded me of the Alfie Kohn book "Punished by Rewards" that *I* read and told him about a year or two ago. This is a link to a Kohn article about reading incentives:

 

http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/readingincentives.htm

 

So now I'm really unsure of what to do. Should I just go back to having them do the library's program? Or just drop the whole idea? Or come up with a compromise that dh will also be happy with?

 

Any advice?

[Mommy22alyns]

Our library's summer reading is structured differently this year, but we did it wholeheartedly last year. We read a ton anyway, and this was a fun thing to do. For our regular reading, we keep a few different reading logs and Becca gets a sticker for each book she reads. We don't have a set "big" rewards system. Since Sylvia started reading actual books on her own, I made a big deal about her getting her very own reading log page.

 

I like your idea. Your boys sounded enthusiastic about it and it's just for the summer, so I don't think it's setting any damaging precedents. Did you point out to your DH that your plan is better because it requires more challenging materials than comic books?

 

Or you could let them do the library's program but not allow them to count the comic books, as a compromise between you and DH.

 

 

FWIW, I fondly remember the Pizza Hut reading programs. I was already an avid reader, and this got me some free pizza too. I do remember that my mom wouldn't have let me load up on "cheapie" books anyway. I can see drawbacks, but I don't think incentives for reading are all evil either.

Edited June 7, 2009 by Mommy22alyns

[Desert Rat]

Hmm...I'm not sure how I would handle your situation.

Our library's summer reading program is 1 book, 20 minutes or 20 pages for each milestone (with 20 being the goal). I like this because it hits most major reading groups. My 6yo beginning reader will be listening to me read a chapter of his book pick alternating with reading to me for 20 minutes, maybe a bit less if he gets frustrated. Huck will be reading entire books for his check mark.

I'm unsure of the difference your dh sees between the library's program and developing your own which is more tailored to your children's needs. I might see it if you were rewarding them year round as this might get tedious and expensive, etc. However, for the summertime I wouldn't object.

Just my 2 cents.

[joannqn]

I don't see summer reading programs with incentives as being bad in any way. It's a fun thing that only lasts a couple of months.

 

We do our library's summer reading program but I alter the requirements. The kids are required to read 10 books. Generally, the library wants them to read books at their grade level. Because my kids are both accelerated in reading, I require books closer to their reading level so that they aren't getting off too easy. They get two free passes (one for them and one for a parent) to the zoo on a particular day. They usually bring in some special program for the kids, too.

[lighthouseacademy]

We do all the different summer reading programs we can... last year my son did Half Price Books, Barnes and Nobles, and the library. He thought it was fabulous that for reading he got more books to read from the former 2 and enjoyed the magnifying glass he got from the library. Our library requires 1000 minutes of reading with 500 being the halfway- small prize point. I don't make a big deal of it, but they think it is fun to get a little something extra for what they are doing anyway. I don't use it as an incentive though since they are already reading. Does that make sense?

[wildflower]

Ugh. I doubt we will do our libraries program this year.

1- We brought home a lot of stuff that I would never give them on my own.

2- DD1 and DD2 (who was an infant at the time) out-read every other kid in the program (at every age level). I don't want my kids reading for stuff (although they did get some great wipe-off activity books that they love)

 

However, there are worse things to motivate kids to do with stuff.

 

At home, as a family activity- what's the harm.

 

Here's a quote from your article:

 

"All those reading incentive campaigns inflicted on elementary school children across the country provide sobering evidence of just how many parents and educators are trapped by Skinnerian thinking. They also illustrate the consequences of extrinsic motivators more generally. Asked about the likely results of Pizza Hut's popular food-for-reading program, educational psychologist John Nicholls replied, only half in jest, that it would probably produce "a lot of fat kids who don't like to read."

 

Are you providing a positive incentive outside of an industrial setting? (yes, that is what I refer to the public school system as).

[Storm Bay]

If dc already like to read, then the programs are fine. If they hate to read, then they may have the effect that link was discussing, although I'm sure that's not always the case.

 

My dd's like to read, my ds has only just started to like reading this spring and he's 8 1/2. He reads what he likes on his own time, which is often about airplanes or in his magazines. My sister and I liked to read, so we read. My brothers read only what they had to. My dad had them read a chapter a night of any book they liked. He also gave in and let them read comics such as Asterix, etc. My sister and I weren't allowed to have comics, so we read them voraciously at other girls' houses and at my cousin's house. All 3 of my them can read, and 2 of them will read for pleasure as adults--one even prefers literary books (he loved Don Quixote & The Life of Pi for example).

 

One of the most scholarly friends we have didn't like reading until he finished high school. He reads history, philosopy, theology, political science, etc.

[Colleen in SEVA]

Chuck E. Cheese gives free tokens for reading books. Of course, they also give free tokens for being active, having good manners, and not sucking your thumb. :)

 

http://chuckecheese.com/promotions/rewards-calendars.php

[Jen in PA]

Or you could let them do the library's program but not allow them to count the comic books, as a compromise between you and DH.

 

 

 

This is what we do. My dd is allowed to read pretty much anything she likes, but I only permit certain things to be entered in the reading log. I use Accelerated Reader's online booklist to check reading level, and I will only let her go so low.

[JeanM]

Thanks for everyone's input so far!!

 

This is what we do. My dd is allowed to read pretty much anything she likes, but I only permit certain things to be entered in the reading log. I use Accelerated Reader's online booklist to check reading level, and I will only let her go so low.

 

This sounds like a reasonable compromise, although I still like the idea of my ds's designing their own reading program.

 

My dc will read a lot this summer no matter what we do, especially since they go to each others activities a lot (e.g. swim practice is not that exciting to watch).

 

Now, I just need to convince dh that this is not going to do permanent damage to our dc .:001_huh:

 

 

Jean

[Storm Bay]

Chuck E. Cheese gives free tokens for reading books. Of course, they also give free tokens for being active, having good manners, and not sucking your thumb. :)

 

http://chuckecheese.com/promotions/rewards-calendars.php

 

 

My feelings about Chuck E. Cheese are incorporated in this song I'm linking here. http://www.timhawkins.net/video.php Scroll down and click on "Tim on Parenting"--it has an excerpt and listen for the line about Chuck E. Cheese (and, if you're not familiar with him, he's a homeschooling dad who is a comedian--clean comedy.) This link might be the whole song on YouTube, but even though I've downloaded the latest Adobe 10 flashplayer, I can't get anything to play for me on YouTube lately. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_pzd_w1sS4 It's called Imagine.

[talexand]

My kids love our library's summer reading program. It requires 20 books or 20 days of reading or 20 15 minute increments. There is a read-to option for non-readers too. 20 books is a lot for kids who are reading long books but the 20 days is a no brainer because my kids read every day on their own. Regardless, its colorful and exciting and fun to get a new book at the end. They get to pick their new book from a good selection and they decide the level. As far as what they choose to read, I would like to encourage them to try different types of books so maybe we will make our own adjustments to the program. Perhaps at least 5 should be non fiction or historical fiction or poetry, etc. I like this idea. I can work on the numbers with the kids and I bet they would be up for the challenge since they know it is too easy as it is.

 

I'm lucky that my kids are already established book worms. I don't know how effective reading programs are for encouraging reading. But I would guess anything that gets a kid reading raises the chances that they will eventually pick up a book that they don't want to put down.

[mollies73]

I guess I totally disagree with the idea that rewarding reading can't help a child to enjoy reading. Last summer, my son hated reading. This past school year, I decided to give him an incentive. He received about 1 cent a page that he read. He's a pretty slow reader, so it came to only about $4 a month. He really wanted the reward, so he picked up all different types of books that he never thought he'd like. He realized that he really enjoys reading after all.

 

We've since dropped the rewards program, but he said he doesn't mind. He has a big pile of books he's working on, and when I was at a used book sale last week, was disappointed that I only found 2 books for him. In fact, he asked me what classics I thought maybe he'd like and is working on Swiss Family Robinson. His reading comprehension scores went up by 15 points this year.

 

I'm not quite understanding how not rewarding will teach a child to enjoy reading. We all want our children to enjoy it. But it can't be forced. But I feel as though a child who reads because their rewarded with have a better attitude than one who reads because they're forced or just required to. A child either likes or doesn't like reading. Rewards just happen to sweeten the chore for a child who doesn't.

 

So I say YEY for reading rewards.

[rhrice3]

I started my own "Summer Reading Program" with my kids many years ago when my oldest ds was too advanced for the program at the local library. It seemed there was always a movie coming out that my kids really wanted to see. We don't do movies on a regular basis so this was a big thrill for them. My kids, also, love those expensive Smoothie King smoothies so I threw that in as a prize.

 

I selected books bases on their age that I wanted them to read. For instance, when my dd was between 5th - 6th, she had to read Secret Garden, Heidi, Alice in Wonderland, and something else. PLUS 4 books of her choosing that I approved. She was a very slow reader so these were a challenge, and she selected Nancy Drew books as the other 4. After 1/2 the program was complete, she received the smoothie. After the program was complete, the movie pass. We usually only did it for about 6- 8 weeks during summer swim team time.

 

This worked really well for my children, as they preferred the smoothie and movie pass over the toy. My children are now 9, 14, and 15. They asked the other day, since we are in the midst of a long distance move, "Can we still do our summer reading program?"

 

I have had several public school moms from the pool copy it. I think that it is summer and a time for fun, but I also think that reading should be the first thing you think of when you think "summer"! Well, maybe, after you think "pool"! I DO!!!

 

Good luck

ReneeR

[aly9712]

We have our own summer reading incentive program too. She has 20 books to read and then gets a trip to Chuck E Cheese. The only problem I have at times, is that in the beginning (last summer) she was just trying to speed through and get them all done in one day so she could get the trip. I still have to encourage her to slow down and enjoy the book- it's not just a race or about the rewards...good luck explaining that to a new 5 year old.

[greta_elisif]

Having a new reader, I don’t have any experience with having a kid in one of those reading programs, but I remember that I was expected to go through it when I was young. I didn’t care about the the rewards, just filled out the forms as fast as I could in order to get back to reading. I do remember also that I would come home from the library with as many books as I could carry, then about two days later, would beg my parents to take me back to the library for more books. I think somebody should have directed me to a harder section!…and, I wish, the classics, which I never knew existed.

 

By 11, I gave up on waiting for my parents and started reading their books, and trying to read their leftover college textbooks. Then I talked them into letting me go by myself, and after a couple of years the adult section was boring, so I started hanging out at the college library reading Punch and Old Norse and trying to find the most esoteric books I could. I was an odd child. :001_rolleyes:

[zaichiki]

My kids' favorite summer reading program is the B&N program. Who can turn down a chance to get a free book?! That's the best reward, IMHO: more reading. (Of course, they already *like* books, so it's great. If the child didn't like books it probably wouldn't be very much of a reward, huh?)