Library thoughts

[mamarhu]

I have just moved to a new town, and first thing, we got library cards. One great thing they do here is that kid's and adult's non-fiction are shelved together - so books about horses or whatever are all in one place. As an adult, I might find better pictures in the kid's books, and my 10YO DD can chose her own level. Great arrangement!

But I have a question; I am sure I am not the first to think of this, but here goes...

What is up with the Summer Reading Programs that offer prizes as a reward for reading? You know, for every 3 books or whatever, some little trinket? Doesn't that send the message that reading isn't something you would want to do if you don't get a prize? What about the intrinsic pleasure of reading? My kids aren't enthusiastic readers, so it isn't that I don't want or need to encourage them. But it seems artificial to set up a reward system. I am looking for ways to meet kids in our new community, and the library seemed like a good starting place, but their only kid's programs are these programs that sound like bribery to me. Does anyone else think this teaches the wrong lesson?

[chalupamom]

I see your point, although it's not very high on my list of things that really bother me. There does seem to be an element of bribery but I file things like this under "Stuff Not Perfect But Not Worth Diverting Lots of Attention To".

My thinking is that I have to remember that not every child enjoys the book-filled upbringing that I did and my children do. Many kids live in homes where books are not the order of the day in terms of knowledge and entertainment and so a little encouragement might be just the thing to keep them engaged from June through September. This thinking might be anathema to many of us on a homeschooling forum, but there you go.

My other thought is that it's a decent - albeit not perfect - to show kids that reading can be FUN and not forced, that they can choose what and when they read and there are rewards for doing so. Our library, in addition to little doodads, has weeks with craft supply bags (bags filled with paper, feathers, sequins and whatnot) and those little plugs of bedding plants. I like to encourage these things as not-made-in-China prize. And, the kids receive prizes for ANY reading, not reading a specific amount.

So, yeah, I don't adore it, but I don't hate it either.

[GoldBerry]

Interesting to me as a mom and a librarian. I have to agree with you that the little cheap-o plastic toys are very bothersome. It seems like the I have to purge our home of them every couple of months. I agree with chalupamom when she wrote:

"Many kids live in homes where books are not the order of the day in terms of knowledge and entertainment and so a little encouragement might be just the thing to keep them engaged from June through September."

Also, I love the idea of giving out craft supplies or plants! Our library has used t-shirts, water bottles and bookbags for awards for finishing 10 hours of summer reading. While these items where not high quality, at least they were functional and the kids seem to really like them. This year, one "prize" is a library card holder that clips to a belt loop.

I would talk to the children's librarian and suggest a more functional or creative incentive. Librarians love to know that people are thinking about how to make their library even better!

Happy reading!

[Crunchier]

A study was done with 2 groups of kids. Each group was given a puzzle, one group was told they would get a prize when they finished. Later both groups got a similar puzzle again, with no prizes. The group that had been rewarded worked on the puzzle for considerably less time than the group that had not.
Little things that we don;t think will impact the way we view things do have an impact.

[mamarhu]

Crunchier - that's just what I was thinking (didn't know about a study, though). If a reward is expected, what happens when there is no more reward?

Chalupamom - your point is well taken about homes that simply don't have books around. Maybe those kids have never considered that reading is something that might be done outside of a school assignment.

No, I'm not going to get all upset about this, start picketing the library or something (LOL). Just saddened me that reading is thought of as something that kids should be coerced into.

[callmemama]

Crunchier, I just read that in Hold On to Your Kids!

Mamahru, we don't use rewards here at home (or try not to ) and we love to read, but it didn't even dawn on me that the library was in fact "rewarding" reading! And yes, we participate with gusto. Ds is 5 and this is "our" 3rd year in the summer reading program. Now what?!

[UnschoolnMa]

My Dd (11.5) is doing our local summer reading program at the library this year. It was her decision. She figured she reads anyway, and it might be neat to get the few things our library offers. (food, blueberries from a farm, and tickets to our local swim center) Our library gives things for every 8 hrs that the child reads or is read to. I just left it up to her to decide.

[m&m]

well I love books and so does my dh and kids... But the summer reading program here is a little strange.

We have to encourage 15 minutes of reading time every day for 50 days afterwhich dd can get her prize. Now we read more than that daily, and it can be all from one book, or from many - but it feels weird to have dd say that we "HAVE" to read because of the program. She stills loves reading just to read, and to research, etc. but really...

Also the program gave a list of suggestions based on the theme of a detective. Some books had to be about science, about gadgets, about languages or cultures, about art, about secret codes, mysteries, costumes... etc. It has been a challenge to convince my dd that she can read anything - that she doesn't "NEED" to follow this list. Alas she has so far, with other books thrown in.

Now it has made her look for books she would not normally pick out - but this gives me mixed feelings.

[tboroson]

I participated in a read-a-thon in 4th grade, and in fact won it. They didn't give trinkets for every so many books, but rather had ranked prizes for kids who read the most books. Ironically, my grand prize was... an Atary 2400. Go figure. Trying to bribe kids to read... with a video game. The only truely good thing about it was that it was also a fundraiser for the library. We took pledges from people and collected based on how many books we read. I recall that I collected over $400, and that was in the early '80s.

I was then and am now an avid reader. I entered the readathon because it was an activity that interested me and I was sure I could win. Honestly, I would have read prodigiously that summer even without it. So, I think these things really only attract kids who'd be reading anyway. That is, those of us who love to read will say, hey, I can get prizes for doing this thing I would be doing anyway!

[Mom4tot]

Our librarian suggested it, but we haven't bothered. The 'treasure chest' is located behind the librarians desk, thank goodness, so we don't notice it much.

I agree that it isn't the most upsetting thing in my day, but I don't think it encourages reading for pleasure as much as some other activities might.

[annettemarie]

Totally agree with the above posts- it's a little bothersome and we're not-so-much into cheap plastic crap, but I would be more concerned if they were doing something to discourage reading, you know?

Also, our big kid prizes are in keeping with the Dragons and Daring Dreams theme and are actually pretty cool this year.

I always enter my kids in the little kids program- we read thirty books in less than 15 days, and they include a $5 Wegman's gift card in the prize pack for each kid as an incentive to the mama.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by chalupamom

"Stuff Not Perfect But Not Worth Diverting Lots of Attention To".

:

We read a lot and we are at the library pretty much every week. I think the summer reading program is sort of silly, but my kids like it and I'm not going to tell them they *can't* do it. We move a lot and the programs vary from place to place. In our favorite summer reading program, the kids earned a ticket for a family of 4 to attend a minor league baseball game at the end of summer. One of the children's librarians threw out the first pitch and we always ran into people we knew. It was a lot of fun. This summer our local library has little cut outs for them to write their names on a tape to the wall for every so many hours of reading. They really like seeing their names on the wall.

Most libraries have extra programs in the summer such as puppet shows or crafts or something, and they are not tied to the amount of reading.

I haven't seen any negative effects in my kids following the summer reading program, but we read so much anyway that the program doesn't have any effect on them during the summer. They are old enough now to understand that the library does this to encourage kids who go to school to continue reading over the summer.

but it feels weird to have dd say that we "HAVE" to read because of the program.

So don't. I think that part of whether or not these programs are damaging to kids is how we talk about them.

[lilyka]

We dig the summer reading programs. My older dd and I are both fans of goals and check lists so these things are just fun for us. ]

Our library gives a reward for reading/being read to for 15 minutes a day for 30 days. not much considering. I think these programs are really more to encourage the parent. you have to go to the library at least 4 times during the sumer. you have to reading to yonger chidlren. The prizes are good, free kids meal at a resteraunt, free ticket to a baseball game and then after 40 days you get to choose between two different pens of a magnetic sculpture thing (fun little thing) and the grand prize drawing will be 10 $25 gift cards to Barnes and Nobles. but truely the best reqard for dd is checking off her progress on the chart :LOL seriously she was born this way and I can totaly relate.

B & N also has a reading program. you read 8 book snad then you can recieve a free one. a nd they actually have some god ones to choose from. I htink you can earn up to three. I guess I have just always seen summer as a time for reading. it jst makes sense to throw in some funincentives to kepe you going.

[eminer]

Wow, some of these prizes sound really cool. At our library, you get a certificate stating that you completed the program. Go figure: I read for 15 minutes a day and all I got was this lousy certificate. :LOL

[teachinmaof3]

Does anyone else think this teaches the wrong lesson?

In most schools I know of...so many things are reward driven. So it only makes sense that they keep that up during the summer months.

I haven't seen any negative effects in my kids following the summer reading program, but we read so much anyway that the program doesn't have any effect on them during the summer.

ITA! Same with my girls.

My girls love doing the summer program too!

The only gripe I have w/ our library is how they do it. Kids only have to read 8 books to get this thing full of coupons (free frosty, free ride on the city bus, free game of bowling, etc). If they read 12 more they get a stupid plastic blow up thing (this year it was a dragon), a medal, and if they are K+ they can enter a drawing.

Ok...so my oldest can meet that goal in like one day. :LOL

When I was growing up, we had to set our own goals for the summer reading program. That was always fun to see if I could meet my own goal.

I'm going to start doing something like that with my girls each month. They both LOVE reading so they don't need an incentive....just something fun to do. We'll have a theme each month and will display it on the living room wall. For example, our first will be an apple tree. I'm going to make the trunk and branches and put up on the wall. Then as they read books they can write the title on an apple and stick it on the tree. At the end of each month I'll take a pic of their "creation" to record ALL the books they read that month. And perhaps have them write a book report on their favorite book that month. I haven't thought about a set goal...I might start at one number and have them increase it each month.

[Britishmum]

Originally Posted by teachinmaof3

In most schools I know of...so many things are reward driven. So it only makes sense that they keep that up during the summer months.

Yep - sadly this way of thinking is deeply ingrained into American culture. The end result tends to be enthusiastic prize-attainers not enthusiastic readers (unless maybe they were already enthusiastic readers).

Anyone a fan of Alfie Kohn? This is a real example of being punished by rewards imo.

[PancakeGoddess]

For us, the library bribery, er, reading program is particularly bothersome because I have the *poster children* for punished-by-rewards. I mean, they can smell manipulation a mile away and instantly assume it means "boring thing I don't really wanna do."

so, as a result, they miss out on some of the interesting suggestions and activities because the whole concept of the summer reading programs just turns them off.

It's a bummer.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by Britishmum

Anyone a fan of Alfie Kohn?

:

My parenting has been greatly influenced by him.

[mamarhu]

Off to go look up Alfie Kohn. Thanks!

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by mamarhu

Off to go look up Alfie Kohn. Thanks!

The book you are looking for is "Punished by Rewards" and your library should have it or be able to get it for you.