I want to set up a reading reward scheme in Yr 2 - any ideas ?

[Iwanttoseethesea]

Hi, I'm at TA in a year 2 class and I'm looking to set up a good reading reward scheme for the kids when they read at home. We tried one last year where the kids had stickers on a chart for how many times they read at home , then the child with the most got a dip in the teachers box of treats ( pencils, rubbers etc) .

The only problem was the same boy won every week and always got the treat so the scheme kind of withered away.

I'm looking for a fun way to reward reading at home - help!

TIA

Sorry to disagree with you again but I don't enjoy disagreeing with you in the slightest.

Older brothers and sisters too.
I have also been known to give 'easier' books to children for treading water, and getting them to teach their younger siblings. There is ALWAYS a way. It is just a matter of finding the right way.

The last thing I want is children reading a book to themselves and consolidating errors.
We often find children who are not reading accurately and fluently aren't reading aloud to an adult.

But they aren't reading alone without an adult. They read daily to an adult in school.

This is just an extra opportunity for them to read at home and change an ethos in themselves for when they are older.

The end aim is that children read alone and love it. I think we have vastly different ethos'.
I cant talk for yours because I wouldn't/haven't tried it, but has been proven to work over many years, for many children.

• but mine has been proven

Morning , well this has turned into an interesting discussion overnight ! We have a reading "expert" coming to deliver training this week at school. I'm certainly going to be asking him his views on this !

They may have time to feed their children, or take care of basic needs, but may not have time to spend 5 minutes reading with each children.
One family I know, older kid look after younger one, older one gave up doing ex-cul activity so younger one can participate, they come and go, some months their parents can't afford to pay for it. I know they spend hours hanging around sports centres and library, because their parents cannot afford after school club or nanny. Yes, they are always at the library, so technically they can read. But like most children, they rather play computer games on free computer, than read. And I don't think it's fair to force 11 year old to supervise reading with 8 year olds.

We have a similar scheme, points for reading which can be put towards prizes. But if a child doesn't read at home, then they read at school and earn their points that way. There are some parents who, for whatever reason can't/don't/won't read at home with their child, the child shouldn't suffer because of that.

So every child in your class has read their home reading book with 100% accuracy at school before you send it home and they never ever forget a single thing?

And I know it is an extreme case, but they are not working only for themselves. They need to send money to help their family in their home country.

Irvine, you just hit the nail on the head.
I see reading as a basic need that is expected, just as much as feeding.
You don't. That is fine to have a different ethos, but I believe over the long term, mine will have a massive positive effect on the children.

You have also missed the point. It isn't about forcing an 11 year old to read with an 8 year old. It is about an 11 year old wanting to read with an 8 year old, because it is an amazing thing to do.

(I should also point out now, I teach in FS and KS1, so 3-7 year olds. My aim is to make children love learning so much that by the time they get to 8-11 it is something they want to do).

cumbrialass I believe this will have a negative effect over the long term. The message being given out is 'it doesn't matter if you don't try hard at home, we will just catch up at school'. That is the opposite message that should be given to children.

mrs, what?
Every child will forget. Every child will make mistakes (that is actually our main class rule - we will take risks and make mistakes)
Every child that has an identified need will be read with at some point in school, as part of intervention, yes.
But if you want to remove children reading at home because they might make mistakes, shouldn't you also make sure they don't do maths, for the same reason? And they probably shouldn't be allowed to run at home, they might fall over. Best stop them getting themselves dressed too, incase they put their shoes on the wrong way.

I know families where the parent has three low paid jobs to keep a roof over their children's heads and have left home while their child is still sleeping and return after their child us asleep. I know children who are main carers for parents I know parents who don't read and write as well as their five year old and struggle to support their child.

TeacherBob, my ethos might be similar to yours, TBH, my ds reads for pleasure, I do to.
I also can see that some others may have no choice.

And I know it is an extreme case, but they are not working only for themselves. They need to send money to help their family in their home country.

All the more reason why the children need to be taught a love of reading and learning.

I didn't want to go down the route of 'look, I am amazing' but I need to point a couple of things out I feel.

1. I talk from experience. For the last 5 years I have taught in classes that have been failed by the teachers before. For the last two years I have been moved midyear. In each of these years, the classes I have taken have moved from being worst behaved/worst progress to best on both counts.

2. Case study. 7 year old girl, Romany gypsy. Never read a book at home. Parents never been to a parents evening. Working at FS level in year 2. At age 14 she will be taken out of school to stay home and care for the family like the other girls in her family. Dad speaks hardly any English at all.
   Within a month of me taking her class, she is reading every night, dad comes into school and has attended the parents evening (albeit on a different night because he didn't turn up when he was supposed to so I made him get a family member to translate. By end of year 2 she was working at 1s+ and is on target to catch up with age related expectations by the end of year 2.
   This ethos does work, and it works best with the children that need it the most. It works because I refuse to allow any attitude that says reading/learning/school isn't important.

Back to OP let me make this clear, incase my message gets lost.
Setting up just a reward scheme on its own wont work.
Setting up a scheme in which no-one can fail wont work.
The only way it can work is if it comes with a massive whole class ethos that says reading is important, learning is important and if we try our hardest we will get success.

• I should also point out I currently teach year 1 and I run it the same way as FS is run, as that is my belief. My headteacher allows this as I am providing outstanding learning opportunities and children are showing good progress after only 4 weeks in my class. I hope to continue it all year and then run year 2 the same way.

mrz I too have had/have parents who cant read, it is common in our area. We wont let that become a barrier to learning though.
As for a safe guarding issue, that is a safe guarding issue and should be treated as such.

TeacherBob, my ethos might be similar to yours, TBH, my ds reads for pleasure, I do to.
I also can see that some others may have no choice.
I am glad :)
What I am saying is, others DO have a choice. They always have a choice.

Who mentioned a safeguarding issue?

I'm more now worried that you think Y1 children don't need to read aloud to someone at home!

The ticks in the reading record books can also be given for reading in class with a teacher or a volunteer or a TA, so those who don't read at home can also join in with a reward scheme.

One thing I haven't seen on this thread - encouraging children to go to the school library and take books out. Ds has resisted reading and school in the past, but going to the library after school and chilling out on the carpet for a bit, and being able to take out a couple books (well below his reading ability but he likes them) with a lovely librarian who manages to have stacks of old magazines that anyone can take, has got a bunch of kids doing more reading and more parents engaged with the school - they open on weekends to offer computer access and provide craft materials for homework. Obviously not an option if a school doesn't have an accessible separate room for a library.

I admire your passion, and it may work for some cases. The biggest difference from your Romany family to my ds's friend is, they value education. They would do anything for their child, but just can't afford to do it. I don't think we never come to an agreement.

mrz you mentioned a safeguarding issue. If a parent is sneaking out and leaving a child alone over night, that is a safe guarding issue.
And I don't for one second think that children don't need to read with an adult at home. This whole thread I have been saying I expect every child to read with an adult.

But what I am saying is, if the adult at home wont read with their child, we don't just accept that. We do whatever we can to facilitate a love of learning and effort at home.

Lanky, that has the opposite effect I am afraid :/

Noncitrus yes it is sad. I have a million and a half books in my house, but also still take the little one to the library every week. Such an underused resource.

Irvine can you explain how someone cant afford to find five minutes to read a book they are supplied with already? thank you

Because the parents leave before children leave for school, and come back home late so they only have time to do bare minimum with multiple children?

ok a little about myself.
For 2 years, I got up at 5.30 every morning and snuck out of the house.
I got in a 7pm every night (1 hour walk to work each way).

I always found time before bed for a 5 minute story.

Also, who has the children whilst parents are working?

I already said, 11 year old look after 8 year old. I don't question if it's right or wrong, it's non of my business.

And they are very responsible. They are always at library or sports centre, doing their own things, not getting into trouble or anything.