Reading as its own Reward

Addition: Since its inception, I have since renamed this program "Read and Bead."  Take a peek at the Read and Bead landing page for more information including research, a webinar, and an FAQ.

Last summer our Library tried something new and went primarily prizeless (visit The Benefits of Beads) and instead substituting a highly personalized approach to allowing kids to be proud of their reading and look forward to visiting the Library.

But... What ARE the benefits?  Why would this work for me?

Just because something works in one Library does not always mean it will be a universal solution.  There are plenty of factors that account for community differences, but going prizeless can have multiple benefits that can translate to your community and make it well worth a try:

Save time

Selecting prizes and ensuring that you have something for every grade level can be exhausting, stressful, and/or time consuming (depending on your level of investment, diversity of interests and ages for your group, etc.).  The popularity of some Disney characters may be fleeting.  Kids may not be as into those mustache erasers as you though they would be (or they are too into them and you run out!).  And grand prizes always leave someone out!  All of this you have to provide on a limited budget, of course, which leads us to...

Save money

Beads are inexpensive pieces of molded plastic that won't go out of style because they have so many functions in crafts and really just let kids be creative.  Those Guardians of the Galaxy key chains may be collecting dust in a few years, but beads can always be re-purposed by you or the patron.  For comparison, the average price per participant went down from an estimated $1.50 to $0.53 the year we transitioned.  We you're dealing with 400+ kids, the difference adds up quickly.

Save the environment

Go green!  Landfills have enough to worry about without small trinkets from Summer Reading Programs, quickly broken or forgotten and suddenly just in the way.  The EPA has plenty of great suggestions for thinking green and shopping smart is on that list for a reason.  The Library can set a good example by not being wasteful and not putting emphasis on the tangible rewards of reading, but the internal changes and the general excitement of young readers.  Which, of course, leads to one of the biggest reasons this project was a success...

Increase motivation, excitement, and word-of-mouth

The greatest part was how excited kids would get.  No matter how much reading was "a lot" to them, they could still build their necklace and have fun.  Our young patrons wore their necklaces all summer and not just in the Library.  This lead to a lot of the following conversations:

Small, adorable child: I want to join the Summer Reading Program!

Me or other Staff Member: That's great!  We love that you came to visit!

Small, adorable child: This is so fun!  My friend had his tag and beads and I really, really wanted one too!

Families out and about in the community saw the evidence of the Library making a difference.  Parents raved about how their kids really looked forward to reading now.  We also had a lot of caregivers praise the system for its sneaky way of working math into Summer Reading as well (so we've got STEM covered if you need to broaden your horizons as well).

Okay, so where's your research?

Research in behavioral and psychological science suggest that rewards as motivation is more harmful than beneficial, extending well beyond the Summer Reading Program.  But we only have so much power as Librarians and can only control what we offer.

We need to support Intrinsic Motivation!  In this case, we mean "reading for the love of reading."  When Abby the Librarian began her summer prize revamp, she cited the reasoning that intrinsic motivation is more effective in creating life-long readers that extrinsic motivation.

When extrinsic motivation is implemented, kids can get excited.  They may jump up and down at the chance to win the Minecraft pick-axe or the Doctor Who scarf, but those who are already struggling readers may see this as just another chance to fail.  Additionally, the long-term effects of promoting extrinsic motivation can lead to kids believing low standards have been set for them and will not attempt to reach their potential or better themselves OR send the message that reading is so terrible that no one would do it without a bribe (i.e. reward).

Great!  How can I start?

Your exact supplies will depend on how you want to enact the project, but our basics were as follows:

• Bead organizer: You can use any case with compartments as long as it has a latch and the number of divided areas you need. The cases pictured are Sterilite Divided Cases.*

• Tags and chains: We use SchoolLife* to purchase 30" chains and customized Brag Tags. Their site allows you to personalize brag tag designs with your own wording or Library name. The tags are very sturdy plastic.

• 
  Beads: These can easily be purchased at a local craft store or online. Beadtin* has wonderful options for pony beads of all kinds is is what we've used for the past few years now.

• Logging Sheets: Whether they're blank bubbles, empty boxes, lines, or something else, just give kids a way to track their time reading.

• Books (optional): As you'll read below, our kids also get to select a free book to take home after the program, regardless of the amount they read. Libraries able to fund this option have recommended a Scholastic Literacy Partnership* for discounted books.

 

Anything else?

Visit our FAQ page for more details or to ask questions!


*I am not affiliated with these companies.  Please always use the products and sites that best suit your library!