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Reading Rewards Program
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I’d love to do an extra/outside-of-our-school-schedule reading rewards program for my children where they get some sort of special treat (e.g. visit to a coffee shop with Mommy to get a cup of tea) after reading a certain number of books or pages, on their own time. Has anyone else done this or seen examples of this? My children are 6, 8, 8 and 10 so we’re in early-readers all the way up to lengthy chapter books.
As a former public school kid am thinking of the pizza-hut rewards program, with a bit more of a healthy twist 😉 …and just wanting to create some extra incentive to read and create habits of reading on their free time, without detracting from our approach of alluring them into a love for learning on their own. I don’t want them to rush to “get ‘er done” for the reward at the expense of the experience with a book …
Sara
Do your children not enjoy reading at all? Do they not choose to read on their own and you have to prompt them to do so?
Personally, I’m not big into giving physical treats and rewards for desirable behaviors. I want my children to learn to do these things without a piece of candy or special treat. I think it creates an expectation for the child to “perform” in order to get the desired thing rather than doing it simply out of the desire of their heart to do it. I totally understand wanting to encourage them to read. This is a wonderful habit to develop! I just wonder if the rewards system is the best way to go about it.
I hope I’m not coming across like I’m judging your decision. I truly don’t mean to sound critical. My concern is for the long run–say 5-10 years from now. I know that I would never want my child to think, “I don’t really want to read, but since Mom is taking me out for ice cream if I finish this book, I guess I’ll do it.” Reading is a reward on its own! There is no adventure like curling up with a good book and allowing it to take your imagination to endless places! In my opinion, that doesn’t need a special treat because the book, the feelings it generates, and the wonder are the reward. Does that make sense?
If your goal is to get them to love learning on their own, I’m afraid you might shoot yourself in the foot by rewarding them with trinkets, toys, or special dates because then they will come to love the reward and not the learning itself.
Think about the Pizza Hut rewards program you mentioned. Did you read the books because you loved reading, or were you reading simply to get free pizza?
It’s kind of the same with your own children. Will they be reading because they love reading, or will it be because Mom is taking them out for coffee later? Sure, they could learn to love reading along the way, which I’m sure is your hope, but I just wonder if a different, less rewards-based approach might not work out for you better in the long run. Perhaps eliminating or limiting the things that distract from reading could be a good place to start? If the TV, video games, or computer are more alluring than the books (which is the case in my house!), eliminating or limiting them for a while might encourage your children to entertain themselves a different way, such as reading. If twaddly toys are taking up time that could be spent reading, perhaps you can slowly whittle down the amount of those toys and encourage a book instead. Make reading appealing by creating a special reading corner or nook somewhere in your home or give each child a special place of their own for curling up in a blanket or sleeping bag and reading. If our children wake before we do, they are only allowed to read in their beds. We have provided nightstands and lamps for that purpose, so they have everything they need at their fingertips. Often, I will have to tell them it’s time to put the book down and get ready for the day. You could also have a quiet reading time every afternoon where the only option is to either sleep or read. I promise your kids will likely choose to read if it means they don’t have to take a nap!
It is possible to cultivate a habit without having a rewards system in place. And it may work out better for everyone years down the road when the habit is cultivated but no reward is expected.
I hope you can think about this from a different perspective. And if you’re still set on a rewards-based system, I hope you get some better ideas!
Blessings,
Lindsey
Lindsey,
Thank you for your thoughtful and considerate response ~ I so appreciate it (and forwarded it along to my husband as well :)).
My husband and I were both voracious readers as kids — you couldn’t get enough books in our hands — AND we both loved those rewards systems through our schools. Maybe it is the competative side in both of us that thought this could be fun extra incentive for our children (who do already love to read in their free time), but I so appreciate your perspective and it certainly *has* given me a different perspective to consider!
Warmly,
Sara
I’m so glad you received my thoughts in the spirit which they were intended! Whew!
If they already love reading, are you saying they don’t read enough? I guess I’m not seeing the point of rewarding them for something they already enjoy. Are you wanting the children to compete with each other to see who reads the most?
Sorry, confused. 😉
One thought I had was to possibly let them watch the movie after they’ve read a book, assuming the movie is well-made and lines up with your family’s values. For example, our son wanted to see The Lord of the Rings movies, but we told him he has to read the books first. So he’s done just that. But he is loving the books too! He also wants to watch Harry Potter, and again, we have told him he may watch (only the first 4) if he first reads the books. He hasn’t started them yet, but the option is available when he’s ready. Honestly, I can’t think of any other reward that actually has anything to do with reading. I’m a big fan of natural consequences, positive and negative. Some positive natural consequences of reading in my spare time would be enjoyment, furthering my knowledge of a subject, entertainment, and inspiration. I suppose if my book had a movie based on it, watching that movie could be a fun reward at the end.
I tried reading rewards twice. The first time we did Kwik Trip rewards where they got a free slice of pizza every month. This was kinda a pain because you would go into the store to get the pizza and they wouldn’t have enough slices for all my kids. The second year we got free passes to a water park (Wisconsin Dells) but the kids didn’t have very much fun. So I quit doing it.
I also agree with Lindsey about not rewarding kids for reading but encouraging them to read because they want to. My 9 year old DS I had to really hunt for books that he wants to read. I can’t just pick anything otherwise he complains and says he hates reading. It is a challenge but I would much rather hunt for books he likes then to deal with rewards that encourage reading to get something other than reading for the sake of reading a good book. Not saying that they aren’t helpful for some kids but I choose not to do them.
Lindsey,
My 6, 8 and 8 year-old are just moving from easy-reads to beginning chapter books and we were considering a way to incentivize actually finishing a book when it’s a bit of a tough hurdle to overcome in those first few longer books. They read a lot on their free time but tend to read “safe” and we’d love to nudge them further along the spectrum. Thought we’d throw our oldest into the mix, too, though she’s all over the map and confident with her reading.
Thank you for your input!! The conversation continues over here … 🙂
Sara
I haven’t read the whole thread, so if this is a repeat, I apologize.
Pizza Hut still does the reading rewards and you can sign up for it as a homeschooler. We did it a couple of years ago. We haven’t the last couple of years ’cause I’ve tried to cut back the cheese consumption for my kids. It was called Book-It. You can look it up online, sign up for it, and they will send you all the coupons for the whole year for your kids. Then you hand them out as they complete their reading each month.
I think that it is pretty natural for most kids to choose “safe” books in their free time. Heck, my dd does this all the time! To keep her somewhat challenged without making her feel overwhelmed, I periodically go through her personal books and weed out the ones that are a bit young for her. I still keep fantastic picture books in both kids’ rooms, because let’s face it, a good picture book is never outgrown.
For example, I’ll just move a few books up to our book closet in the schoolroom and replace those books with something a little more challenging, but still enjoyable to her. She likes the variety, and I like that it’s increasing her reading skills in her free time. I also assign one book to be read and orally narrated during school time, and this book tends to be somewhat of a challenge since it’s technically a “school book”. Usually, my kids enjoy these books so much by the end of them that they will ask if they can keep them in their rooms, and then read them over and over again. Our son LOVES to read. I’ve never had to make him read or reward him for reading in his life. Dd, on the other hand, doesn’t gravitate towards books like he does. She will often choose to play with Legos or do something in the kitchen, but if I suggest she go read, she usually does so without hesitation. She enjoys it and will read for fun, just not as avidly as he does. And I think some kids are just like that, and that’s ok!
My 8yo son is just starting to read the Henry and Mudge-type books by himself. We’ve decided I’ll cut out a little colored fish shape and he can write the title of each book he has read to himself on it, then we tape it to the wall where eventually it will be a whole school of fish (he’s an ocean lover). I thought that kind of reward would feel validating and also be a visual reminder of what he has accomplished. My other son, 8 next month, stil isn’t interested in reading to himself. I’m hoping that the excitement of the fish display will inspire him to pick up some of these books on his own also and he can have something comparable to show his accomplishments. My husband and I thought that at some point we’d take the first son out on a date (leaving the other children at home) and say it is in honor of his hard work in learning to read (though my son doesn’t know this is our plan). I don’t know where this falls on the continuum of rewards based behavior. I agree in theory what Lindsey says but I also think that when I’m trying to ingrain a new habit myself, often there are many environmental things I can do to help me do what I’m intending to do and to inspire me along. (I’d like to say a big reward at the end would also inspire me but obviously it doesn’t since my husband and I decided if we could make certain lifestyle changes and accomplish certain goals by a certain time we would take money out of savings for a trip to Italy just me and him (how exciting is that??! we’ve never done anything like that before) and yet, we both failed. Sigh.)
Shannon,
I think the difference in what you’re talking about and what the OP mentioned is that you’re not telling your son in advance that you plan to reward him with a special date PRIOR to him reading x-amount of books. You’re going to surprise him by taking him out to show that you’re proud of him for his hard work. This isn’t rewards-based at all. I see rewards-based systems as being something like you put in front of the child whatever the reward is and then tell him if he does this, this, and this, he gets said reward. He’s not working toward this, this, and this, but toward getting the desired thing. I also think it’s a wonderful idea you have with the fish on the wall. What an excellent way to show him what he’s accomplishing! It is a reward, but it’s also a visual symbol of his progress.
I think your approach and the OP’s are very different. I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with either of you, but I’m more inclined to honor my children AFTER they’ve done something desirable than to, in a sense, bribe them to do it. I really hesitated just now to use the word “bribe”, as I know that’s not what the OP is going for. But to me, it really seems more of a bribe that developing the behavior at the heart. I don’t know…
Blessings,
Lindsey
It’s kind of the same with your own children. Will they be reading because they love reading, or will it be because Mom is taking them out for coffee later? Sure, they could learn to love reading along the way, which I’m sure is your hope, but I just wonder if a different, less rewards-based approach might not work out for you better in the long run. 
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