[LM_NET] More thoughts on Book-It and other incentives

[Michele Nokleby <mnokleby@GMAIL.COM>]

I agree that, ideally, all children will find reading intrinsically
rewarding.  HOWEVER, anyone who works with kids know that they often need a
little help getting to that point.  I run frequent reading incentive
programs to give kids and their families encouragement and recognition for
developing good reading habits in their home.  I have many, many parents
thank me profusely for offering these programs.  Lots of my students still
need the support of extrinsic rewards as they work on developing fluency.
Reading incentive programs also promote parent involvement.  Many of my
families wouldn't "buy into" literacy events if I didn't feed them.
Food-based celebrations and rewards really do matter to a family that is
struggling.  When they come to school and eat at our library parties, they
see that they have become members of a reading community.  When the
experience is so positive, the habit becomes self-perpetuating.
I will confess that my heart breaks for some of my students, who have such
messy lives that they cannot look forward to successful participation in
some of these programs.  That is why I try to vary the structure of
incentive programs, and allow teachers to arrange for in-school activites
that can substitute for some of the home reading.
Ultimately,I know that there are still some families I will miss, despite my
best efforts.  Using this as an excuse for not having any incentive programs
at all would be very sad.  We cannot make the world perfect- but that
doesn't mean that we shouldn't be doing our damnedest.  I resent the
implication that I am being punative to students who are unable or unwilling
to participate.
-- 
Michele Nokleby
Hawthorne Elementary School Librarian
Missoula, MT
mnokleby@gmail.com

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