I have never been a huge fan of reading rewards. Reading for the sake of reading is what I want to instill. However, reading reward programs are fun. I get that. I also get that some kids need a little extra nudge to get them started. And if your going to read for a reward… at least your reading.
I really do like the way our library does their reading rewards program. The kids get credit for the books they check out, rather than filling out lists or demanding a certain amount of books read. It’s easy, and doesn’t take away from reading to read. We’ve participated in the library program every summer for the past few years.
This year I think it will be difficult to participate, since we’ll be touring a different library every week. So instead I made up my own reading rewards program using our book reports and our love of Scholastic as the motivation.
Reading Rewards Container
What you need: Box (cereal and cracker boxes work great), Scissors, Paper, Markers, Glue
Cut the top of of a box. Measure the paper to cover the entire box. Have the kids decorate the paper before gluing it on.
I told M and M what the boxes were for and they decided to draw characters from books they like. Big M drew Cat in the Hat and Little M drew herself standing on giant peach.
For inspiration you might give your little readers a stack of books or talk about characters they like.
Once the paper is decorated glue it on (I used hot glue, but anything would work). That’s it. Easy!
The Reward
The deal we made at our house is that every book report they fill out and place in the container will earn them $1 towards our first Scholastic order of the school year. (You may want to think the number through carefully. I realized after setting the reward that this could get VERY pricey. At least the money will be spent on books. 😉 )
If you are not familiar with Scholastic Book Club, it is a catalog that comes through the school. Books are reasonably priced (if not super CHEAP!) and they are delivered to your kids teacher. The kids bring them home, can’t be much easier than that. Scholastic now has an online store where you can order from many different catalogs or even purchase eBooks. The added bonus is that teachers receive credit towards books every time parents order!
More Reading Reward Ideas
- Special one on one time with Mom or Dad.
- A trip to the book store to pick out a few books.
- Lunch at a favorite restaurant.
- Extra books from the library (if you put a limit on what they check out).
- Extra computer time on favorite author or series website.
What’s your next stop? I’ll tell you…
- Add your favorite reading rewards in the comment section.
- Visit Hands On: As We Grow for 20+ Activities to Start Learning Letters .
- Join us in making quiet summer reading a priority and grab a button!
- Come back next week for tips on simple ways to get 20 minutes of reading in everyday.
Great idea with the cereal boxes. Kudos that your kids can be so patient to wait til the school year. I don’t think my 5 & 7 year olds can wait that long. My kids do the library program but for that they do have to keep a reading log.
I don’t know that I would ever call my kids patient Darshana, but they love ordering from Scholastic so for that they won’t mind waiting. 🙂