Reading Tools: Motivation

Motivation is a large part of what I talk about on this blog.  When children are struggling with a task it is natural that they are opposed to it.  While motivation does not create an innate desire to complete a task, it can alleviate the struggle.  Encourage children with smaller goals at first that are easy to attain.

The Goal:

• Read for 15 minutes
• Fill in the Bingo board
• Read every day
• Read a more challenging text
• Focus on making pictures in your mind
• Focus on decoding

The Prize:
When considering what a good prize should be, think about what your child likes best.  Are they into small toys?  Candy or a treat? Allowance?  A special event?  A phone call to a relative or a playdate?  At our house we have prize box with candy and small toys in it.  Anything I find in bargain bins, garage sales, dollar store, clearance sections.... you get the idea.  Each time the finish a book they get to pick from the prize box AND record the book on their reading log (Bingo Board).  Once they've achieved a set number of books they get an extra special coupon for completing the long term goal.

Remember to have long term goals as well as short term prizes.