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Paying Kids to Read

I've always wanted my kids to be readers. Reading is transformative and has always been a part of my life, and I really wanted that for my girls. So, following common parenting practice, I read to them every night of their childhoods -- up until they were in to chapter books. And I loved it. It was ritual and sharing and the best part of some of my days. 

But, once left to their own desires, they did not read. And it was frustrating to me because I followed the equation: read to kids = kids are readers. Ugh. 

Following more parenting advice, I offered MONEY for completing books. Reading is not an "intrinsic" habit and therefore needs to be pushed along with "extrinsic" rewards. According to this parenting expert, this isn't a "bribe" but a "reward" for building a positive habit. 

Bribes are done at the point of pain (eg. "if you're good for the next five minutes, I'll give you a chocolate treat") and don't lead to good habits. But rewards are intentional, planned treats for a specific, good-habit behavior. Such as, "every time you put the dishes in the dishwasher away, I'll pay you $5." Or, in this case, books for cash!

So for the last several years, I set up a sheet to keep track of books and the money reward, going up on a scale. And for many summers, I haven't paid out much; mostly for graphic novels or comic books. The girls complained they didn't like reading or couldn't find good books or read too slowly. It wasn't happening. 

But I kept consistent (which, let's face it, is the KEY to teaching anything) for years and just kept offering the money reward for reading -- in increasing amounts. 

Well, this summer those roosters finally came home to roost! (Is that the metaphor?!). They each read three books, and working on others. What's more, they're talking about books and finding titles that EXCITE them. Several trips to the Barnes & Noble and library over the summer didn't hurt, either. 

After years of not thinking of themselves as readers, and feeling all my hours of narrating picture books to my babies didn't translate the way I hoped it would, we DID it! They are officially readers! 

The extrinsic reward of CASH, plus friends and my influence (I am reading 100 books this year) and we have two girls who are "interested" in books. It's a step in the right direction. 

I'll create a NEW sheet for the school year and see how it goes.   

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