The Breakfast Club

Our school participates in the Accelerated Reader {AR} program. I realize there are mixed feelings out there about this reading program {I, myself, have not been the biggest fan over the years}. I've seen this program work well for some. I've also seen it totally turn some students off to reading {example: my two younger sisters} in due to teachers who require students to participate and require them to reach a certain number of points each grading period as part of their average. When I came to a school that used this program, I decided that I would never use it in this way. I did not want to make my students hate reading.


Therefore, I have only encouraged them to read for AR and give them a set DEAR time, but I do not require them to take AR quizzes. The choice to participate is ultimately up to them. I set goals for all of my homeroom students each six weeks based on their level, but I have some students that do not want to participate and that is ok. For instance, this six weeks I only had 8 students who met their goals. {Of course, more students than that participated, but they did not reach their goals.}

I decided that students who put forth effort to read books and actually take quizzes on what they've read deserve to be rewarded so I started a breakfast club. The fourth six weeks recently ended so I rewarded students who met their goal with doughnuts and juice that they got to have during morning work time. I plan to do the breakfast club again at the end of the fifth six weeks and I can already tell that the last one was an incentive for other students as most of my kiddos have been reading up a storm any spare minute they get! The only problem {well, sort of problem} now is that they are practically fighting over the computers so they can take AR quizzes. Ha!

doughnuts = a great reading incentive...not to mention a great way to start a Monday! ;)