Motivating Readers

How does your school motivate students to read?  Many schools have a program in place to encourage students to read independently on a regular basis.  We have a small committee of teachers who plan a school-wide reading incentive program each year.  This year our baseball theme, Hit the Books!, has generated so much enthusiasm.

We launched the program the first school day in September by holding a big assembly.  We all came dressed in our baseball jerseys and caps.  After explaining the program to students, we showed a baseball themed Jib-Jab video.  One teacher from each grade level was represented in the video.  Students were laughing and cheering!

To participate, students must read a designated number of minutes at home each night and return a signed reading log at the end of each month.

Readers can look forward to special celebrations in recognition of their hard work. These celebrations include activities like Mystery Guest assemblies, Minute-toWin-It challenges,  free books, prizes, and baseball tickets.  

Does your school have a reading incentive program?  I'd love to hear about the great ideas you are using to motivate your students to read.  Please share!