Do you reward your kids for reading?

[ReneTL]

A friend of mine sets a goal for her 4th grader who's a good reader: for every 50 or so (I don't know the exact number, but it's up there) books, he'll get a reward, something like the Lego set he's been coveting. I haven't given it much thought until I started planning TOG for next year. My kids are good readers, but not bookworms. They're good at reading fiction, but non-fiction is a little tougher. I've been pretty slack in my expectations for history reading - bigger fish to fry. But next year, the reading quantity really jumps for both next year and I'm wondering about using an additional incentive to get them to the next level. I've thought about tying something to the book's AR point value and doubling the value it it's an assigned book. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks,

Rene

[prairiebird]

I don't because the library already has a treasure box thing that they can pick from when they read X amount. They have little sticker cards.

 

I've actually never thought about it for home though. IF I did, it would still be little things, like extra video game time or something I think. I don't think I'd want to reward with something substantial because I wouldn't want them to start expecting something big every time they get though a novel as they get older, you know what I mean?

[Mommyfaithe]

A friend of mine sets a goal for her 4th grader who's a good reader: for every 50 or so (I don't know the exact number, but it's up there) books, he'll get a reward, something like the Lego set he's been coveting. I haven't given it much thought until I started planning TOG for next year. My kids are good readers, but not bookworms. They're good at reading fiction, but non-fiction is a little tougher. I've been pretty slack in my expectations for history reading - bigger fish to fry. But next year, the reading quantity really jumps for both next year and I'm wondering about using an additional incentive to get them to the next level. I've thought about tying something to the book's AR point value and doubling the value it it's an assigned book. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks,

Rene

 

I reward my kids for finishing light units. For every workbook, they get a small treat...under $5, for every years level...a big prize....like that coveted

Lego kit. It gives them something to work towards....and I love treat/prize day too. It is fun.

 

 

Faithe

[Melissa in Australia]

I do, for each book read from the WTM reading list, plus oral book report , they get a chocolate bar. All other reading is not rewarded.

[Jenny in Florida]

In our home, we've always treated reading as something very cool that you get to do. So, each of our kids got the first library card when he or she could read fluently. At the same time, each one got a bedside reading lamp and permission to read for 30 minutes at bedtime.

 

Nowadays, free reading is what you get to do once your other responsibilities are completed.

 

To me, rewarding for reading always seemed like it made reading into a chore that has to be incentivized. I don't get it.

 

Edit: Oh, I did think of one thing that might be considered a "reward," although we thought of it as a celebration. When each of our kids finished reading the first Harry Potter book independently, we baked a cake. The first time, my daughter finished reading the book right around Harry's birthday, and it seemed like a fun thing to do. It had taken her a month to read that book, and we were very proud of her. Then, she insisted I honor the "tradition" and make a cake for her brother when it was his turn.

 

One more thing I was thinking about: The previous minister at our church always used to have a little ceremony in the fall for the new readers. It was genereally the kids heading off into either kindergarten or first grade, depending on when parents wanted to participate. All of the kids would stand up in front of the congregation, and the minister would tell a little story about when she learned to read and the worlds it opened up for her. Then, each child's parent(s) would give their child a book chosen specially for the occasion and say a few quick words about why that book was the one. I loved it and miss that little ritual now that minister has retired.

 

So, I guess what I'm saying is that we do have a variety of little rituals to recognize reading as something special, but we don't generally have to or choose to give specific bribes.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Jenny in Florida

[Snickerdoodle]

Absolutely not.

[Ester Maria]

No, the experience of reading is the reward in itself.

 

I did give enthusiastic rewards for things which required considerable academic "stretching" to complete and yet they did it - but we are talking about a few exceptional cases only. When my daughter completed her first Cicero in Latin, which she did not even have to do, and which she had snapped over several times, and yet was driven to the end with no promised reward whatsoever, merely for personal growth, I was so proud with her that I felt the need to reward her somehow. Or when my other daughter completed her first "real" science text, above and beyond anything I expected from her, same thing. Other times when they did something "big" I did not feel the need to add things to the joy - but a few exceptional occasions, it does not hurt.

 

However, regular, free time reading or regular school expectations? No. The point is in developing internal motivation for learning and personal drive, rather than hope for material rewards. Learning is a reward in itself and I prefer working on recognizing that. I also make sure to talk with them about how lucky they are to be able to learn and read comfortably, and what sacrifice of generations of people for them being able to do so means. Their lifestyle is a privilege many would have liked.

[Mom2J112903]

Yes because J *hates* to read but reads above grade level. He is working towards a new computer game currently by reading the classic version of Peter Pan.

[plain jane]

I don't currently and the thought had not occurred to me. Now that I think about it, I think I'm going to come up with some sort of reward system for my younger dd. Oldest dd is a complete bookworm but younger dd (grade 1), while she enjoys reading, it's not something she does for the sheer enjoyment of it and everything has to be assigned. I'm going to think on this and see if I can come up with some sort of system that will entice her to pick up a book or two outside of assigned reading time. Hmmmmm.

[WistfulRidge]

I could see doing it to motivate someone who doesn't love reading, the rewards program at the library is what motivates my two non bookworm siblings to read stacks of relatively non-twaddle books every summer. My parents used to try to bribe me to read less (neither of them are bookworms). It didn't work, but they tried :lol:

 

I've always been of the mind that reading is the reward, and that is the mindset I hope to install in my kids. So far I'm considering myself a success in this department... DS will do pretty much anything for books/story time :D

[Mrs Mungo]

My kids are rewarded WITH reading. As in, if you get to bed on time you can stay awake and read in your bed.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

DD isn't quite there yet, but once she is reading fluently, the plan is to have lists of "good" books that I'd like her to read. If she reads a book off that list and either narrates or writes a short report, there will be tickets or stickers on a chart or something to show progress towards a prize.

 

DD has always loved books, so I don't think I'll have to worry about her reading. But since I want to allow her (mostly) free reign over her choices, I do want a way to encourage quality literature, at least occasionally, over easier stuff.

[Pretty in Pink]

No, I do not really reward the boys for reading. We do 'Book It!' annually, during the months that I can remember to pass out the certificates, and some summers we participate in a Summer Reading Program, some of which have reward incentives. We don't do those things to motivate them to read; they already enjoy reading a lot. They do not read any more (anymore?) than they normally would during those months.

 

My kids are rewarded WITH reading. As in, if you get to bed on time you can stay awake and read in your bed.

 

This, too. We use extra reading time as an incentive around here often, much moreso than television or computer time. We also use books as rewards: if you guys can stay on top of your chores properly for an entire month, we'll go to Books a Million and you can each select a new book. We always give a new book for birthday or Christmas, and slip one in the Easter basket, etc.

[Mabeline]

My kids are rewarded WITH reading. As in, if you get to bed on time you can stay awake and read in your bed.

 

:iagree: same here.

[zaichiki]

No. We don't. They are all bookworms so far. Reading is its own reward.

 

If I wanted them to read a specific book and they were avoiding it I might consider planning something to look forward to after the book was read...

[bettyandbob]

I didn't. I had no need to with oldest. He read everything I put in his hands, everything he could get on his 25 book check out limit, everything. I didn't buy things, but I did try various incentives to get dd to read more. She was good at reading, but didn't enjoy it. She didn't start reading for pleasure until she was 11. I just kept reading aloud and trying numerous genres. If I'd instituted a reward system and not included her brother there would have been big problems and if I'd instituted a reward system and included both I would have been bankrupt.

 

However, I can see a small reward system as a good idea for some families. Perhaps rewards for books related to school, but not specific assignments like you had a bin of selections related to your current history unit. Maybe you'd include some classic literature in the bin that your child would not normally choose on his own.

 

I mostly believe that reading is the reward, but I can also see that for some kids they just haven't developed an enjoyment for it. If there's no enjoyment, it's not a reward.

[Dmmetler]

Yes! I let her buy more books :)

[tammyw]

No, reading is its own reward, right? We actually don't do any rewards. I'm way too afraid that implementing a reward system would make the kids do something *only* because they were getting rewarded.

[happypamama]

I don't reward my kids for reading, exactly. The only thing I do reward is DD, who reads a ton but who has a tendency to start chapter books and then not finish them. I probably have 20 or so books around here where she's read a chapter or three and then quit. I don't really like that particular trait, but I also don't really want to micromanage every book she picks up. So while she only gets 20 minutes a day of screen time, if she finishes a book, she gets an additional 20 minutes of screen time. This tends to work very well for her. Otherwise, no, reading is its own reward.

[happypamama]

My kids are rewarded WITH reading. As in, if you get to bed on time you can stay awake and read in your bed.

 

OK, there is that. We do that too.

[jujsky]

I started a reward program, and it's been working well. It's not just for reading, but for school in general. I started taking the kids to the Kumon center twice/week for math. Coupled with our Thursday co-op, it made doing school on Thursdays impossible, so they have to make up their work during the rest of the week. I set up a chart that shows 5 language arts, 5 spellings, 5 maths, 3 histories, and 2 for science, art, and music. There is also a section on that chart for 7 Kumon lessons. If all their school work is checked off for the week, they get a school buck (I made different denominations in Word, printed them, and laminated them). If all of their Kumon is done, they get a school buck. They also get a school buck for any of the following reasons: finishing a Kumon level, reading a chapter book independently, finishing a lap book, or for any super-great school achievement I deem worthy.

 

I also made a prize chart. DD is saving up $100 school bucks to get Kanani's shaved ice stand (an American Girl toy she really wants). DS saved up $20 school bucks to get a Lego Wii Star Wars game. I'm not sure what he's saving up for now. It's definitely encouraged both kids to read more and to stay on top of their school work. They like to count up their money and see how close they are to their goals.

Edited April 3, 2011 by jujsky

[Caroline]

Well, sometimes we have to buy new books. I don't know if that counts.

[Karen in CO]

Not for school reading, but I have been known to pay a kid read a particularly large book that had intimidated them. Not always and not for every book and not all the time, but there are points in the reading progression that a little extra incentive reaps big rewards.

[violinmom]

I suggest the Alfie Kohn's book, "Punished by Rewards." There is a whole section about this very topic, and it quite interesting.

[Amy in NH]

No. I want them to get the intrinsic reward from reading itself rather than be focused on an extrinsic reward that makes it seem like a chore that should be avoided unless a reward is offered.

[kitten18]

Yes. At this point DD is still working on fluency. She gets a 'ticket' for every 10 minutes that she reads aloud to me. When she gets a certain number of tickets, we all go for a treat, like a frozen yogurt.

[JessieC]

Nowadays, free reading is what you get to do once your other responsibilities are completed.

 

To me, rewarding for reading always seemed like it made reading into a chore that has to be incentivized. I don't get it.

 

 

:iagree:

 

Reading IS the reward. I think rewards for reading could be counterproductive in most cases.

[Night Elf]

That tactic backfired for my children.

 

When they were very young, we used Book Adventures. They earned points for reading and exchanged them for rewards. My son worked hard to get a toy tow-truck. After he got it, I tried to help him set the next goal. He didn't have anything he wanted so he didn't see the need to continue reading. He told me he would start reading again when he found a toy he wanted.

 

When dd13 was in 2nd grade, she went to public school for a few months. They used the AR (Accelerated Reader) program and for every test they took, they earned points for their classroom. The room at the end of the school year with the most points won a pizza party. A large graph was kept in the front of the school tracking all the classrooms. Because dd13 had a high reading level, they were strongly encouraging her to read very large books so the classroom would earn more points. When I took her out of school, she refused to read anything larger than a Berenstain Bears book for 6 months. No exaggeration. Even then, she only went to small chapter books like Junie B. Jones. It took her a very long time to learn to enjoy larger, more complicated books.

 

But that's just my experience.

[kalanamak]

I put kiddo in bed at 9:30, and if he wants to READ, he can do so in his bed until 10:30. If he doesn't want to read, its lights out. So far, he rarely turns the light out early, and seems to enjoy the reading. I was pleased, recently to notice he isn't reading aloud anymore.

[Guest txmom03]

Absolutely NOT! Reading is NOT a choice, it is an assignment and must be done. I do not treat my children any differently than expectations of a public or private school.

 

We do not give rewards for chores either. An assignment or chore is expected. We teach our kiddos what the real world is like and what the real world expects. The only reward is knowledge and advancement for doing what is expected, nothing more.

 

I had a son who absolutely detested reading. We had comic books lying around the house, I let him pick them up and read them at his leisure, but NOT before his expected duties were done. He now picks books up off the shelf and reads without me telling him he needs to do so. He has come a long way, but my expectations were never lessened nor rewarded due to his hating to read.

 

You have to remember, if your children end up going to a public, private school, or college, they will not be rewarded for their required reading assignments. As they get older and go out into the workforce, they will not be rewarded. The reward is getting what is expected done when given the assignment.

[Sputterduck]

I wouldn't do that because I wouldn't want my son rushing through books just to get a reward. As it is, he is a voracious reader. He's read his young person's Bible through 4 times already. He spends at least 2 hours a day reading without any intervention on my part. Often he reads more than that.

[Daisy]

No, but I do allow them to participate in various summer reading programs around town. They love to read so it has never been an issue really.

[ocelotmom]

I know reading can be rewarding, but I'll tell you I would love if someone would give me an incentive because there are times I don't read much. I go in spurts. I can sometimes read nonstop for months. Then I won't read anything for months. I don't know why that is.

 

Right now I'm not reading anything (except ahead for school related work). Every time I start a book I can't get into it. I have about 10 books next to or under my bed all started. I'm not interested in any of them right now.

I'm the same way. As a kid, I was a total bookworm, and read generally a novel every day or two. Maybe more if it was an easy one.

 

Now? I have a book sitting by my bedside, that I'm enjoying, that I've been working on since I believe November. It's due on the 12th and I can't renew it any further, so I suppose I should get on with it :P I've read a grand total of 4 books this year. I read more when I was in nursing school a year ago (fun reading, not school-related) than I do now.

 

I'm thinking it may be because I'm doing a lot more reading aloud of chapter books with the kids, and it's filling that need to some extent.

 

I'm considering some sort of reward system for DS. He's at the point now where he can read a lot of things, but it's a lot of effort, and he doesn't yet do it just for fun, but I think he mainly needs practice to increase fluency. Some sort of outside motivation to practice might get him over the hump.

[m0mmaBuck]

You have to remember, if your children end up going to a public, private school, or college, they will not be rewarded for their required reading assignments. .

 

Actually they do reward the kids here with a coupon for a free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. They can earn one certificate per month as long as the read a given number of books.

 

My son does not like to read. I even put the proverbial carrot out there (I signed up for Pizza Hut's Book-It program) but that wasn't enough incentive to get him to read. He will read what is assigned and no more. Period.

[Joker]

I always said I was never going to reward for reading. We all read a lot here and my older dd just followed in our footsteps and loves to read. Enter younger dd. She hates to read! She started teaching herself at 3 so I thought she would just follow right along with the program but at about age 7 she just started hating it. There have been a few books here and there that she will devour (The Trumpet of the Swan and Mr. Popper's Penguins) but mostly I have to force or reward. I have found rewarding works much better and we're all happier. If she reads for at least 30 minutes every day (not including read alouds) at the end of the month she gets a small (less than $5) treat. At first she only read for the 30 minutes required but now she usually reads for 45 minutes to an hour so I guess it's working.

[Jen in PA]

Yes! I let her buy more books :)

 

This. The kids know that when we have read through the current stacks around the house it will be time for another library trip or trek to a bookstore. That has been more than enough motivation so far. DD may not love all of the books I assign for school reading, but I treat them as I would a math or Latin assignment -- no special reward, just schoolwork that must be completed. We do the library's summer reading program every year and the kids get rewards there -- free books!

[elegantlion]

No, we don't reward reading. My ds is a delayed, reluctant reader. He's also very literal and well, anal. Anytime we've done rewards with something like chores, it has turned into more of a contest than being about the results.

 

He's a slow reader and we're keeping track of how many books he experiences this year. I say experience because we're counting read alouds too. The completion of our goal will be the reward. I tend to give a plaque for something each year. I will probably give him something for his reading consistency this year

[Mommy22alyns]

We don't.

[jujsky]

This has been a very interesting thread. It's interesting to me that most people feel strongly that reading is its own reward. I used to feel that way too, but my son was a reluctant reader. He doesn't like to do anything that is difficult, but I knew in order to get better at reading he had to practice. The incentive program has worked very well for him. It motivated him to read a couple of smaller chapter books (Magic Treehouse) and then he discovered the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and devoured those --building his confidence, practicing his reading skills, and enjoying reading all at the same time. Now he's a few chapters into the first Harry Potter book. This has happened in the span of 4 months. He's gone from being a reluctant reader to sneaking books at night after lights out. We caught him one night at 11:00, all bleary-eyed, half-mumbling, "I just have to find out what happens!"

 

OP, you know your kids best. I can completely see how a rewards program could backfire for some kids, but for other kids it gives them the extra motivation they need to plow through something they find difficult and discover a love of reading.

[MelissaMom]

I just recently did a post on my blog about this.

 

http://halfdozenmama.com/the-yummy-secret-to-raising-a-bookworm/

 

I didn't set out to start a reward system, but it evolved somewhat naturally. And it's working to push them into reading more than they thought possible.

[eternalknot]

I'm not big on rewards, per se. I don't reward for reading, but I've been blessed to have two eager, early, highly motivated readers - it wasn't anything I needed to do, so I didn't. (FWIW I didn't allow them to participate in reading programs at the library or Pizza Hut until they were reading for their own benefit and interest ... and the "reward" aspect was ranch dressing on the carrot, rather than the carrot itself) (to mess up a metaphor LOL).

 

Your friend seems to prioritize quantity. If I were going to reward my kids for reading, I think my priority would be quality. Read x-challenging classic and get y-coveted Lego set. Read x-Junie B Jones books and get y-dollars to buy the next in the series. I wouldn't do that, though.

 

In your situation, I'd not reward for reading non-fiction, school books. I don't reward for completing math pages, either. The reward is you get to move on with your life once the work is done :D. My kids love non-fiction, but if they didn't I would consider reading it aloud with them - even just in part. My number of kids and their ages allows for this, though, and I know not everybody else's will. There are some books I've assigned that my kids just don't like. They don't have to like everything, but I've assigned it for a reason. To make it an easier pill to swallow, sometimes I'll read aloud to them. Sometimes I'll have them read aloud to me. They don't protest many things, though, so I know if they're complaining - it's valid; YMMV. Sure it's a bigger PITB and time/life-suck, but hey - that's part of why I homeschool. I'm the sugar that gets the medicine down ;) and sometimes time with me working through a book with them is the only thing that's gonna get it done. Even if it puts us a bit behind on school. Or chores.

 

My thoughts are this - if you think rewards will push them to the next level, do it. Just consider the relevance of the rewards, first. Be creative with the rewards as opposed to just offering a trinket or coveted item; find a way to make the reward relevant to the book or the act of reading.

[nmoira]

No. However, if I had a reluctant reader, I wouldn't think twice about offering rewards because the act of reading makes you a better reader.

[lea1]

I can completely see how a rewards program could backfire for some kids, but for other kids it gives them the extra motivation they need to plow through something they find difficult and discover a love of reading.

 

:iagree: This. Every child is so different. Some might need just a bit of motivation to get them over the edge and then they would become book lovers for life. Sometimes children need external motivation until something becomes a habit or turns into something they enjoy.

 

My two 5 year old sons have been taking violin lessons for a couple of months now. One son is the more compliant type and will participate in lesson time and practice daily with no problems (maybe a few complaints here or there but not much). The other is very strong willed and everything with him tends to turn into a battle of wills. We let him know that he must do this, just as he must learn to read. We also started an incentive program to help him along a bit. They must 'earn' their $1 per week by participating nicely in lesson time. They must also 'earn' a quarter a day for practice time. This worked very well at first but I'm not sure how long it will last for Mr. Strong Willed. We'll see. He definitely wants to learn to play but does not have the self discipline to get past the beginning stuff and to the point where it becomes more fun.

 

We ran into the same thing with reading. It was such a chore/battle, at first, to do reading lessons with him. Little by little it became easier and he was more willing. Now he loves it that he can read.

 

Each child is so different. You just have to try to find what works for each one.

 

I love the idea of getting them their own bedside lamp and allowing 30 minutes of bedtime reading. I am definitely going to use that idea.

[Kim in Appalachia]

Last summer I gave my boys a goal. If they read all of their assigned books (a total of 50 between them) they got a new video game. It worked great. My oldest even enjoyed some of the books. :001_smile: Some people are more motivated by goals or rewards.

[HS Mom in NC]

No. I have never used any kind of reward system with my children ever for school, music, or behavior. For a very detailed documented clinical argument why it's counter productive in the long run, you can read Alfie Kohn's book, Punished by Rewards, if you're interested. (You may not be.)

 

Reading wonderful books is its own reward. My oldest daughter (now 15) was a natural born bookworm and early reader. My middle child (now 13) was a late and reluctant reader who only read what was required or assigned until about age 11. Now she's a bookworm and eager reader. My 5 year old is just now learning.

[Jenny in Florida]

My oldest daughter (now 15) was a natural born bookworm and early reader. My middle child (now 13) was a late and reluctant reader who only read what was required or assigned until about age 11. Now she's a bookworm and eager reader. My 5 year old is just now learning.

 

My two have been very different, too. My daughter read early and read tons for several years. Other homeschooling moms used to pull me aside and ask me privately "what I did to make her like that."

 

My son had little to no interest in reading for a few years. I had just about resigned myself to thinking he was going to one of those "reluctant readers" I'd heard about, when reading clicked, and off he went.

 

So, my daughter was reading Harry Potter by age six, while my son didn't get into Frog and Toad until he was seven. These days, he out-reads her by an almost unbelievable amount. He's the only other person I've ever met who reads like I do. Seriously, I still skake my head about the whole thing.

[In the Rain]

My girls love to read, so I haven't *needed* to reward them for reading books.

 

There were incentives for reaching certain levels of Reading Made Easy, and I do let them participate in summer reading programs.

 

If I had a reluctant reader, I would do whatever it took to get them reading. As others have mentioned, reading becomes more pleasurable as it becomes easier.

[LMD]

Generally no, but we sort of did for DD's first novel. She was reading 'James and the Giant Peach', and it was stretching her reading abilities. To encourage her to keep going over a rough patch we told her that they made a movie of the book which we would watch together when she finished it.

[helena]

Generally, I'm against it, but last summer I gave it a try (not the school year).

I chose a bunch of books, and replenished as needed, so I knew they were reading good books (but more on the fun side). I wrapped up a bunch of fun cheap ($.25-$.50) treasures from yard sales and a Japanese store in the neighborhood. I put them in a treasure chest, and let them pick a prize for every book read. They also made a paper chain with the title/author of each book. It was so much fun!! The chains got so long, we had to start draping them (over their beds).

 

Okay, so fast forward..

About a month ago 9yo tells me she read so fast, she doesn't even remember what any of the books were about!! :glare:

GGGRRRR!! :tongue_smilie:

The thing is, she probably remembers plenty, but she most definitely doesn't remember all of it.

We had a long talk about why we read, and about earning the prizes. I've decided to do it again this summer. It's fun. It's a way to get them to read the books you know they'd like but won't give a chance. And, our library has a cheesy summer program. We'll be having those "talks" about paying attention to what your reading. And I'll hope for the best.

In fact I just picked up the cutest vintage ceramic seal figurine yesterday to wrap up.

 

Because we don't have enough junk in this house.

 

My vote is I'm not into rewarding reading, we do it, in the summer, it's a bust, it's fun.

Oh my gosh, what's wrong with me?? :D

[Meriwether]

Yes! I let her buy more books :)

 

 

This is us, too. We don't have a system, but Dd7 reads so many books that if she wants something I buy it for her. I bought her 30 books in January.:blushing: She has been reading them along with school books and other books I've just had around. I have hundreds of books for her level, but I still buy just about anything she wants. Used. On eBay. But it I feel embarassed when I think of it. I have bought her well over a hundred books for birthdays, Christmas or on request in the last 18 months. It would have been heaven for me as a kid, though, so the more she reads the more I buy.