I personally think that these systems are great. As a student that did not enjoy reading, I think it's important that you provide an incentive. However, I do think they could make the students work harder then just reading the books. The point is to really get the kids to really read not just speed through and miss the message of the book.
I think that reading response papers could be really good for students. By getting the student to question and reflect on what there reading seems much more beneficial then just assuming they understand and handing them a reward. Kids should be challenged with more then just a number.
While I agree that incentive programs are a good way to get students interested in reading, I think it's very important for a teacher to make reading fun. In TE 301, we talked a lot about encouraging literacy. One of the ways of getting students excited about reading is role modeling it. So if there is a point during the day that is designated reading time, the teacher should be reading a book too. This shows students that the teacher is really excited about reading as well. Another way to role model is to bring in people from the community to read to them. When I was in elementary school, the teacher had members from our High School Football team come in and read to us, which as second graders was the coolest thing to see. This showed students, especially the boys, that reading can be exciting and that other people love to read as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that rewarding reading is a good thing. In my elementary school we did a program called "Book Parade". There were a total of 13 books. After you read each book, your are quizzed to make sure the book was actually read, then you are given some sort of prize. Such as candy, pencils/crayons, etc. At the end if your class read the most books, you get to have a pizza party. This was a great way to create a reading competition, which made all of us want to read. It also increased reading because no one wanted to let down their fellow classmates. I think programs like this are a great way to get students to read.
ReplyDeleteI used to love reading, but I do not enjoy it that much anymore. However, what I do remember is that I read when I was little for rewards. If it wasn't for Harry Potter, I don't know if I would have ever gotten into reading. The key is to push books that interest students!
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