Activity 6 ~~ Create a Reading-related Incentive Program (45 minutes)

Objective: Create a reading-related incentive program for your students.

Context: Dr. Gambrell's article suggests that while extrinsic rewards for reading may have a moderate or short-term effect on reading motivation, teachers have greater long-term success with reading-related incentives. The problem with extrinsic motivators (food or other prizes) is that we inadvertently send a message that it is the prize that we truly value, and not the reading. Sometimes extrinsic reward programs backfire, in that, students, in their desire to get the prize will often "cut corners" when it comes to the reading requirements (picking short, little books, reading in a cursory fashion, exaggerating about the number of pages and number of books they read). At times, teachers slip into the extrinsic rewards because a local business is willing, if not eager, to be a sponsor or parents are willing to buy, prepare and distribute the prizes.

So, what kind of reading related incentive programs can be developed? One reward for reading can be a book! Of course, the teacher has to know what types of books are motivating (see Knowing your students interests and abilities, in Activity 3).

For additional ideas, access the link, Incentive Program Ideas. This list of ideas came from reading specialists who actually used these programs.

Now you will attempt to put all of this information to work for you. You will now design your own reading-related incentive program. Create a reading-related incentive program by following the following guidelines:

When you're finished, please proceed to Activity 7

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