In order to stimulate learning and to motivate reading books , lots of teachers use rewards for students.
Research confirms that student motivation is a key factor in successful reading. However, in order to effectively support reading motivation in the classroom, it is helpful to consider the research on reading motivation and engagement.
Academic achievements are important to recognize. Recognizing the achievements that they have made in each area with curricular awards is a great way to foster confidence and promote good study habits.
Even our bookworms need a bit of encouragement
We all know that, some kids are just into it from the beginning and others need a bit of encouragement. To me, if we have a reluctant reader on our hands, special reading rewards are a fun and colourful way to make the idea of reading more engaging.
They are a way to track their progress. When they see how much they are achieving- as the bookworm reaches its full length- our students will ,hopefully, become more motivated to sit down with a good book. Before we know it, they’ll be hooked on reading (well that’s the plan anyway).
It could be that the real value of reading-related rewards is that both the desired behavior (reading) and the reward (small gifts etc ) define a classroom culture that supports and nurtures the intrinsic motivation to read.
A few reading motivation ideas
Honoring books for self-selection, sharing the excitement of read-alouds, building a balanced book collection, making their passions public and providing rewards that demonstrate the value of reading are just a few simple but transformative suggestions that can nurture the love of reading in our classrooms!
Our English library
Our school library is actually, a book case filled with books which have been categorised according to student level. This means that a student at an intermediate level will be able to select from a -limited, so far- range of books (novels) very clearly for his/her level without having to wade through books and reading the back cover or the first couple of pages to see if the book is going to be written in language that is too easy or too difficult for them.
In addition, it means students are able to read English books without having to pay for them. This may be especially important for students who are on a budget, or those who don’t really like reading and would be less motivated to read if they had to go out and find a book in English and then pay for it.
It also means, with a more restricted number of options available to choose from because they are divided into levels, students may end up choosing something to read they would not normally choose, even in their own language. And who knows, it might be the start of a whole new interest for a student.
In our English class, our bookworms , receive their rewards ,three times a year: at the end of each semester and at the end of the school year! Their names are published on the school site.
The rewards, usually consist of items like: bookmarks, educational toys, office supplies, balloons, lollipops etc
But, we should be careful: our students shouldn’t get addicted to rewards. They have to work because of an intrinsic motivation. As students achieve success in your class, they can learn to be motivated by their own achievements.
I really look forward to seeing a bigger number of my students take advantage of the school English library to improve their English language skills in any way possible, next school year!