I am looking for some ideas for a reading incentive program. We
are business partners with a local bookstore and offer book certificates as an incentive to our students. Any ideas for themes or other incentive possibilities
A:
From: GA JANE....
In Atlanta,(we are in the suburbs) we have Six Flags over Georgia. They have a 600 minute reading incentive. As the student reads 600 minutes, they take their chart to the media center and it is validated and before school is out, the student receives a free ticket to Six Flags. This is usually good during one week in the summer, and lots of classes plan on going a certain day of the week and our principal goes. All teachers get a free ticket also, for keeping up with the paperwork. Maybe you have some attraction nearby that
would help you on this? We also have a RAD Day(Read all Day) where the students bring sleeping bags, etc. and just read all day in the classroom. Maybe this book store would offer bookmarks, free trips to a Dairy Queen (good for an ice cream cone, etc.) or also a discount on purchases made by the students and parents.
Hope this is helpful.
A:
From: Prf ARed...
Theme ideas:
DISCOVERY - reading about discoveries of various kinds -- scientific,
archeological, self-discovery (these topics CAN be found at various reading levels)
JOURNEYS - travel reading, personal journeys, history as a journey through time, books about growing up
BORDERS - books about different countries, about the frontiers (the West, space)
ADVENTURE - reading as an adventure, adventure stories, the adventure of science, biographies of adventurous people, famous women or minorities as adventurers
Many of these themes can be learning themes as well, spread across a grade level or the whole school. For example, BORDERS can be related to shapes, perimeter and diameter in math. (You didn't say what level you're working with, but I assumed elementary or junior high. The reading themes could be used for HS as well, though.)
Themes are a great idea for interdisciplinary, big-picture learning.
As a high-school teacher in a disadvantaged area, I'm interested: How did this program begin? How is it going? I've been developing plans for business partnerships here, but have no background in that area.
