Should Boys be Bribed into Reading?
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Getting Boys to Read: A Global Challenge
Getting boys to read is apparently a challenge all over the globe. Take this story from Wellington, New Zealand: Rongotai college has initiated a controversial reading program. Every time a boy can prove that they have read two books, they are rewarded with a nice, sugary, cold can of coca-cola. If they read five books, they get a voucher to Subway. Ten books? A movie voucher! Twenty books… a mobile phone voucher. The top three students get a clothing voucher and the top two receive a school blazer.
Another great post, Holly! And a interesting question...
On a smaller scale than mobile phone and clothing vouchers, I was once concerned that I was "bribing" my students to read during our reading sessions. Toward the end of the sessions we usually spend 5 to 10 minutes playing bingo, dominoes or puzzles. When the students realized they would have time for a games, most of them started speeding through our reading time, hoping for more playtime.
I decided to skip the games every few sessions. I tell my students that we were so entralled in the story and they were reading so well that we read right through our whole session! If that's the case I might let them choose a sticker instead, but not always.
I think it's beneficial to encourage reading with things kids enjoy like pizza, movies, stickers and games. We want them to associate reading with fun! However, when kids continue to need the "bribes" and the initial hook doesn't create interested readers, we may be losing the benefit we had hoped for.
Interesting topic..I agree with Kristen, I think that when you associate to much award system to the habit of reading it takes away the real value of the task. I must say that giving a prize every now and then would do good otherwise the child might confuse it a different meaning. it could be a habit that could spread to other tasks like maybe, practicing how to write, working on his homeworks.
I also believe that the child have to be made to understand that the prize is actually for being a good boy and doing things that would enrich him and that he behaved properly and not for the number of books he read.
That is just my two cents!! :)
-Boo Lagunilla-
I have two boys and am a librarian to many other boys so getting them to read is near and dear to my heart. At home I have tried bribing and with my sons it doesn't work. Could be that at their ages right now they have pretty much all their wants covered, or it could be that it isn't that important. But I have noticed that when I hit the right book (Wimpy Kid for my older son) I have no need to bribe, they will read it cover to cover. At school we use Accelerated Reader, which I loathe, so an extra bribe for those that hit their target points seems to help.
I agree with you, Kristen, but add the following...
Rewards For Reading and How It Works (or Doesn't Work) at My House
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#1
I pay my boys a penny a page to read. Sometimes, I have weekly specials such as 2 cents per page or an additional dollar for each chapter book completed that week. Maybe it is wrong, but it gets them to read.