How do you reward your child for finishing a book...

[happycc]

I have gotten in a habit of rewarding my kids when they finish a book....whether it be AAS level, Beast Academy, Key to, Story of the World...Curriculum books not novels....Novels are fun for my kids. Any kind of reading is fun for my kids (usually).

 

They have come from public school so they were in public school mode when we started homeschooling them. Rewards unfortunately has been set up from the start.

 

They set up a goal/prize and write it in their workbook-front page to remind themselves. Otherwise they would spend hours staring at the walls and not get a page done without that motivation.

 

All corrections have to be made before they get the prize.

 

Some ideas have been: ice cream/Sonic milkshake, bag of jelly beans, going somewhere fun, smoothies like Jamba Juice, movie at the theaters (big ticket item has to be for a big or hard book).

They do however enjoy telling Dad. I personally like to see them get a reward for OUR hardwork!

 

Do you do this? What have been your rewards? Is this a good idea?

Edited August 31, 2012 by happycc
rewards not for novels, for boring curriculum books

[wormbuy]

I don't do this. I would run out of fun ideas! Although I guess you can repeat them. It sounds like fun. I say it is a good idea if it works for your family and you don't mind doing it.

[jessicalb]

I love this!

 

My son gets a huge kick out of being publicly recognized. We have an end of the year get-together with our homeschool group where we stand up and talk about the accomplishments of the year and he LOVES it. I will think about adding in treats for stuff we finish throughout the year. Thanks! :)

[Farrar]

Eh. I'm not so enthused by rewards.

 

But this year we have a reading tree. They get to put on a leaf for each book - mostly just in recognition.

[momma2three]

DD1 gets a small prize for every map of reading eggs (usually she's chosen for me to paint her nails... which I'd be happy to do anytime, but that's the prize she picked so I'm not going to argue it!) and I've promised her a big prize when she finishes all 120 levels.

 

She also gets a prize for every 10 books she reads. Right now they're nicer prizes (small Playmobil sets) because she's a very new reader (has only read 20 books in her life, all Step 1 Easy Reader types), but once she becomes a more fluent reader I'd like to downshift to "experiences" or maybe "pick dinner tonight" or going out for ice cream or something.

[jennynd]

DD loves her certification for her HOP program. We decorated it, put her name and date.

When DS finished the whole Singapore Math series. We took him to resteraunt to celebrate. We cheered for his achievement and he loved it

Edited August 28, 2012 by jennynd

[Kathryn]

I'm not really down with the reward system. Anytime it's been used with DS, it hasn't really worked out well.

[raceNzanesmom]

A couple of his texts have certificates. I fill those out and hang them by his work area. Otherwise, he just gets a high five, good job. Honestly tho, just getting done so he can move on has been all the reward he's needed.

[Wildiris]

I've not done rewards until now. Child #4, a reluctant reader in the 4th grade, would rather play games on an iPod than read. My solution was $2 a book, but not just any book. The selection needs to stretch current reading abilities, and it isn't just $2, here you go. The books read add up to a $20-25 gift card to Barns and Noble. At least I know the gift card will be used on books instead of stuff. If I rewarded with an Amazon gift card or iTunes gift card we would end up with more stuff and no reading.

 

So far the plan works. DD is happily reading her way through three books.

[regentrude]

We have never done rewards. The sense of accomplishment is the reward, and sometimes the fun of getting to start a brand new book.

[Snickerdoodle]

We have never done rewards. The sense of accomplishment is the reward, and sometimes the fun of getting to start a brand new book.

 

:iagree:

 

eta: not very helpful for ideas for you though, sorry.

[Canadianmumof5]

We have never done rewards. The sense of accomplishment is the reward, and sometimes the fun of getting to start a brand new book.

 

:iagree:

 

Our "reward" is that they get to start the next level/book - woohooo, good job!

 

I'm not a big fan of reward systems. Especially for the older kids - IMHO it can manifest itself in some ugly ways where the child won't do anything unless there is "something in it for him".

 

Now, offering M&Ms during potty training........yep, all over that one :D

[mumto2]

I feel really mean I have never even thought of rewarding them. I read your title and thought that I hand them the next one.:D They do like telling dh--quess thats the reward!

[SFM]

Eh. I'm not so enthused by rewards.

 

But this year we have a reading tree. They get to put on a leaf for each book - mostly just in recognition.

:iagree:

 

I think the reward is the book and being able to read. We write down the books we have read, individually and together and that way we can see the progress we have made throughout the year, although a leaf sounds like a really great idea.

[Cosmos]

LOL I don't :)

 

The reward for finishing a book is that you got time to read a booK!

 

And every book you read is going to make you a better reader and enable you to read more books!

 

Seriously, the reward in our house for reading a book is buying another book :)

 

The bolded is something we did too. When my ds finished a spelling level, we took him to the bookstore to pick out a new book to read. It's something we would do once in awhile anyway, but tying to to an accomplishment seemed to make it fun without any harm.

 

We haven't done a lot of rewards, but we did do that.

[nov05mama]

I feel really mean I have never even thought of rewarding them. I read your title and thought that I hand them the next one.:D They do like telling dh--quess thats the reward!

 

I thought the same thing, so don't feel mean! Or at least know you aren't the only one :lol: In all seriousness, we really don't do anything special! We are usually BOTH quite excited about the new book and that ends up being a reward in itself ;) Or, if it's close to the end of the year, we celebrate the fact that we are DONE with a book and won't start a new one in it's place til the new year :tongue_smilie:

[Mandy in TN]

what?! I was supposed to give rewards for finishing books. Well, I suppose that my boys have just been shorted.

 

I do give rewards for passing a Kumon test. Usually, we go out to dinner. When ds finished his last Kumon test, we drove across town to a Cici's Pizza! We no longer have one in our area and that was what the little guy really wanted.

 

Mandy

[julikins]

I give a sticker for a reading book, and a sheet or book of stickers for curriculum. It is something they love for now.

[Mallory]

I think there is a little confusion??? Or at least I am confused :confused:

 

I think the person who started the thread is really talking about completing workbooks, textbooks, or other actual curriculum books, but many of the posters are just talking about novels or other books read.

 

I agree that for my kids finishing a free reading book is that you get to pick another! Usually even for books assigned for history, science, lit, or so on, again, usually they even enjoy those books although occasionally they will stop reading a book and as rare as that is I usually let them.

 

 

Here and there I might have had a reward for completing a workbook or textbook, but the normal reward is telling dad (or others- maybe making a phone call to an aunt or grandma) and you don't have to do that subject the rest of the week. With Singapore Math there tend to be all these pieces and if you finish a whole book then you can take a break from all of them.

[MrsBanjoClown]

I don't have anything like that in place, but I do reward them for some things. They both have an account at bookadventure.com and I told them that when they both get 5000 points we will go to the zoo. They get points for making at least a 90% on a quiz over a book they have read. Usually it's 100-150 points per book. One of them is already over 1000 points and the other has over 800 points.

 

I also have a "Made the Grade!" plate that they get to eat off of if they make a 100 on a test (math and spelling are the only subjects I test). They beg for me to give them tests so they can use the plate. I have never before heard a child say "Aw, man. I wanted a test today. When can I have a test?" Yes, my 7 year old said that today.

[RootAnn]

I've been known to reward a kid for finishing Teach Your Child To Read in 100 (Not-So) Easy Lessons. The latest one earned a dipped ice cream cone.

 

And they get something if they finish their math text - buy 'em something small at the store or whatever. If they leave the last 5-10 lessons undone when they move onto the next book, they get nada. :tongue_smilie:

 

I may buy myself something if dd#2 ever finishes her 3rd grade math book. :willy_nilly:

[justLisa]

With another one :D

[Kelly1730]

I would never have thought of giving reward for finishing school books. They do the library program in the summer and get a free book but that's about it.

[Farrar]

Oh, somehow I missed that it was schoolbooks. I never would have thought of doing a reward for that either. The reward is that you get to put it in the recycling. There's something oddly pleasing about that, I find.

[K&Rs Mom]

When mine finish a workbook/textbook, they get to choose something from our "trinket box" - it has gumball-machine type toys, cool pens & little notebooks, a couple packs of gum, free stuff I get in the mail from places I donate to (keychains, notepads), sometimes things I know they want or need (earbuds). I add some new stuff every few months, and they love rooting through there for just the right prize.

 

If they got a prize every time they finished reading a novel, we'd be broke. ;)

[3 Only Children]

our house rule is that you have to read the book before you can see the movie. We get the movie from the library. Goodwill or rent it. So the movie is like a reward.

I have seen a paper chain made with each link having the name of the book or story written on it. like this: http://theteacherwife.blogspot.com/2011/02/100-book-challenge.html.

Fun to see it grow and doubles as a decoration.

[Mallory]

 

Oh, somehow I missed that it was schoolbooks. I never would have thought of doing a reward for that either. The reward is that you get to put it in the recycling. There's something oddly pleasing about that, I find.

 

Oh yes, recycling. Or even better- burning. And now the burn ban is off!

[ebunny]

Eh. I'm not so enthused by rewards.

 

But this year we have a reading tree. They get to put on a leaf for each book - mostly just in recognition.

 

I love it...What a great idea!

[Hedgehogs4]

Around 2nd / 3rd grade I started adding a dollar to ds's allowance for every approved chapter book completed in a month. Since he is extremely motivated by money, this worked wonders and probably launched him into reading. He is no longer rewarded monetarily, but reads all the time. :001_smile: Sometimes cold, hard cash is the answer. I never had to add more than 4-3 dollars in a month.

 

I never reward for school work / workbooks. That is just life around here. Extra reading (chosen over other stupid things like computer) done in one's spare time is what gets rewarded.

[mom2one]

When she was 4 and decided she wanted to learn to read, my grandma taught her with the old Dick & Jane books, just like she taught me 30 years ago. Whenever she finished a book, she would get a treat, like going out for ice cream or picking a small ($5) toy from Walmart.

 

Now we've moved past rewards and she's expected to learn/read because she's a child and that's her job, just like daddy's an adult and his job is to go to work. When she was struggling with her spelling tests in PS last year, we did agree that if she got a 9/10 or 10/10 for 5 weeks in a row she would get some Littlest Pet Shop toy that she'd been wanting. It worked...she got the toy...but she didn't learn to spell, she just memorized the words for the test.

[Violet Crown]

We have a lesson tree for Middle Girl - an oak drawn on a foam board, with velcro-attaching leaves for each lesson, each color-coded branch being a different subject (math, languages, etc.). The reading branch has green leaves, but finishing a book gets you the coveted Gold Leaf, which stays up the rest of that day and all the next.

 

Wee Girl has a lesson flower with petals and cute bugs. Finishing a book gets The Smiley Sun.

 

So it's not so much extrinsic rewards as it is having your achievement recognized.

 

ETA: Oh, I see it's lesson books. Well, that would be rewarded with a Solemn Procession, either to the curriculum storage shelf or to the recycling bin.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Sharon in Austin

[Erica in OR]

We only did this for one book, because finishing it seemed like a pretty big deal to me and to each child—Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We had a mini-party to celebrate the new reader in the house.

 

Erica in OR

[Rivka]

We celebrate the end of schoolbooks, not because I don't want my kids to be intrinsically motivated :lol:, but because it's fun to celebrate things.

 

Finishing a math book = going out for sushi.

Finishing an AAS level = solemn presentation of the completion certificate.

Finishing a WWE level = going out for ice cream.

Finishing RSO chemistry = getting to blow something up. We haven't decided what.

[LisaBoo]

:iagree:

A couple of his texts have certificates. I fill those out and hang them by his work area. Otherwise, he just gets a high five, good job. Honestly tho, just getting done so he can move on has been all the reward he's needed.

[Mommy22alyns]

Eh. I'm not so enthused by rewards.

 

But this year we have a reading tree. They get to put on a leaf for each book - mostly just in recognition.

 

This is a great idea! Hmmm, how to implement this...

 

I don't do it because we use CLE, so the girls are finishing a workbook every few weeks. It could get expensive! They get spoiled anyway. ;)

[LolaT]

I have given her paper certificates for a few curriculum books. When she finished RSM B, her first year of math, I gave her a certificate and a a wallet with some "seed" change in it. When she finished OPTGR, I gave her the full set of MTH series. I tried to give her something useful and related to what she had accomplished, something that would continue to motivate not just be an end reward. Now that's she's in 3rd grade, it will probably be paper certificates for the heavy curriculum subjects.

[Momma_Bear]

We've done Reading Caterpillars, Trees, Butterflies and Ladders it's just to recognize the books they've read. They enjoyed it but that was many years ago and I can't keep up anymore. ;)

 

We don't do anything for curricula really, they get a certificate for completing a grade. We also have a "graduation" for Kindergarten, 5th and 8th grades because those are bigger milestones (the PS also does graduation ceremonies and my kids wanted something!). :001_smile:

[punchbuggyblue]

I have gotten in a habit of rewarding my kids when they finish a book....whether it be AAS level, Beast Academy, Key to, Story of the World...]

 

I usually just take a picture of them! Holding the book and looking really excited that they're done!

 

It doesn't take much to make them happy!

 

Lisa

[mytwomonkeys]

i love this idea! it would really work well with my kids! i'm going to totally borrow it. thank u!:)

[mytwomonkeys]

I usually just take a picture of them! Holding the book and looking really excited that they're done!

 

It doesn't take much to make them happy!

 

Lisa

 

that's sweet too! gosh i don't do anything. maybe say, "good job". lol. we never really celebrate a book's completion. i really need to start though! why didn't i think of this before??

[momma2three]

I love the photo idea! I want to start doing that. We only have a few lessons left in our Math Mammoth book, I'll do it then!

[Elfknitter.#]

We have never done rewards. The sense of accomplishment is the reward, and sometimes the fun of getting to start a brand new book.

 

:iagree: A "reward" might be waiting til the following week to start on to the next book. Perhaps this is because we school year round.

Edited August 30, 2012 by elfknitter

[RoundAbout]

I'm not big on rewards at all (huge Alfie Kohn fan), but I did give it a try recently because DS has been super pokey lately. I promised him a new Lego set for finishing OPGTR (without moaning and groaning) because I consider learning to read a really big deal! We are only 12 lessons away and he could care less. :glare: He either can't make the connection or just is not at all extrinsically motivated. I suspect the latter based on past experience. In some ways I really admire it - as a girl I was all about the rewards and it interfered with real learning much of the time - but man I wish I could find some leverage every once in a while when I need it!

[ocelotmom]

Our plan this year is that, if DS finishes his work for the week by Friday, he gets to choose a book (from one of the thrift stores usually, so not a huge monetary investment). If he hasn't finished by the following Monday, he loses screentime until he catches up.

[Anne in CA]

My children get to choose dessert when they finish a whole textbook like Rod and Staff LA, or something similar. They love it.