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. 

 
United States Good-Grades Incentive Programs 
Similar programs are taking place in the United States. Many cities, including Baltimore and New York City, pay their students for good grades! An Exxon/Mobile program, which is being instigated in several states, pays students $100 for EACH AP exam they pass.
 
These incentives seem to be working. Book borrowing has nearly doubled in the libraries of Wellington, New Zealand.  More students are registering to take AP classes in Dallas, where the Exxon/Mobile program is in effect. Other schools that offer rewards for academic achievement see college applications on the rise and classroom performance improving. 
 
 
Bribing Kids to Study:  A Good Idea?
There are a lot of people skeptical, however, of these programs, which essentially bribe kids into actively participating in reading or studying. 
 
USA Today reported that Bob Schaeffer of the NationalCenter for Fair & Open Testing, a watchdog group, is incredulous about these types of programs: "Bribing kids for higher test scores — or paying teachers bounties for their students' work — is similar to giving them steroids. Short-term performance might improve but the long-term effects can be very damaging."
 
Joel Klein, chancellor of schools in NYC, defended programs in his schools that reward good grades with cash (and pizza!) in the NY Daily News. He states that “The Education Department is "trying to get them into the learning and then to teach people to love learning. But if you're not motivated to learn, it's very hard to love learning.”

Parents have been bribing kids for centuries: it’s what we call “allowance.” Some parents even shell out cash to get their kids to read. Is it a good, even necessary way to foster a love of books?  Or is it just a way to cultivate materialism and greed in our students?
 
What do you think?

 

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#1

Jessica (not verified)

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.

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#2

Kristen Bevilacqua
Location: Hometown - New York, Current location - South Africa
Position: Literacy Volunteer
Posts:

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.

 

 

 

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#3

boolagunilla
Location: Manila, Philippines
Position: Parent
Posts:

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-

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#4

Mike McQueen
Location: Colorado, USA
Positions: Parent, Classroom Teacher, Librarian
Posts:

I agree with Bob Schaeffe's comparison to steroids. Great article Holly.

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#5

Jana (not verified)

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.

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#6

missusbee5
Location: Alabama, USA
Positions: Parent, Classroom Teacher
Posts:

I agree with you, Kristen, but add the following...

 

Rewards For Reading and How It Works (or Doesn't Work) at My House

 
Library program rewards
 
We have done rewards for reading programs since before my oldest son could read. The way that worked was that I could read the books to him and for every so many books I read to him, he received some sort of prize. Usually a coupon to a restaurant and trip to the treasure chest worked just fine. Eventually, if he read so many books, he would get a library book bag and then be invited to an awards night, which would include even more free food. As long as I read to him, this worked out pretty well. The following few years, after he learned to read at the easy level, this still worked well.
 
Theme Park vs. a Hamburger
 
It wasn't until this past year that the food and book bag awards were not enough motivation. He dropped out of the summer reading program after reading only 5 books. Hamburgers and chicken sandwiches no longer enticed him to read. His sister (older) continued reading until they finished the program, attaining every prize that was available. However, the Six Flags reading program was enough of a motivation. He was willing to read in order to go to Six Flags. I began to wonder about why it used to work and why it no longer works for my son, but still works for my daughter.
 
Conclusion
 
My conclusion is that my son realized that we were going to feed him whether he read or not. On the other hand, we weren't going to take him to Six Flags unless he finished the program. My husband took my daughter to the various restaurants for dinner as they accomplished each goal. My son and I stayed home and found something else to eat. My daughter still doesn’t need much motivation. Just the recognition seems to be enough for her. The prizes really weren't that great. Free food is more of a prize to the parents than the kids.
 
I now realize that I have to be more creative in encouraging my son to read. He needs a fun activity, not food. Programs are great, if they work, and as long as they work. When it doesn't work anymore, it's time for another plan. Rewards need to be something they wouldn't normally get to have. Now we can't do Six Flags all the time, but there are some smaller activities closer to home and cheaper that we can do. Chuck E. Cheese is a good example. Or we can let him pick a movie to rent. Also, sweets seem to motivate him still. We do have to feed him, but we don't have to give him dessert unless he earns it.
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