I have a cottage school.  It’s a one-room school where I teach my own three children and eleven others. 

I reward reading in several ways.  Kids get a book mark with a space for twenty stickers.  If they read at home for twenty days, and they fill up the bookmark, they are given a prize.  Most of the time it’s a dollar bill. 

I am constantly praising them for what good readers they are.  We talk all the time about what they are reading, and I have them narrate back to me what they are reading.

They also get to put a marble in our class marble jar.  This jar is for good behavior, completed homework, 100% on tests, and for finishing a book.  Every student reads books at their level.  And yes, I do assign the books because I want them to read classics that will expand their vocabulary and knowledge of the world. 

I might have a Third Grader reading Robinson Crusoe but a 7th Grader reading the original Boxcar Children books.  It just depends on that child’s ability, and what I know they are fascinated with.  I try very hard to go by students fascinations and build a reading program around that.  Even then, I am committed to sharing the classics with them more than newer, more modern books.

The marble jar works great because once that marble jar is full, we all go out as a class for pizza — my treat.

Students are awarded at the end of the year and recognized for the number of pages read during the year at Awards Night.  Every student earns a certificate that lists how many pages they read.  (I keep a reading record for each student.)  The winner of most pages read earns a plaque or trophy.

I also read aloud twice a day.  The first half of the day I read a classic nature book such as The Burgess Bird Book for Children, and we study those animals I read about.  In the afternoon I read aloud for approximately an hour out of a historical novel that goes along with our history lessons.  Right now I’m actually not reading a classic, which is unusual.  I am reading Nick of Time by Ted Bell.  We are studying Early Explorers and Pirates in history right now and this book, while written by a modern author, is so well written it is sure to be a classic one day.  I am hoping to read Treasure Island next. 

Modern books have to meet the merit of being a future classic before they earn my precious class time.  Another modern author I have read to my students in the past is Kate DiCamillo.  I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that her book, The Tale of Despereaux, is coming to theaters in December.  Everyone really should read the book first.  The language and metre in that book is really what good writing and reading is all about.  Every child should get a chance to experience it in written form before seeing it on the silver screen.

Give me a book over a movie any day.  Nothing compares to seeing the characters in your mind’s eye while reading a book.  My imagination must be much better than screen writers because whenever I see the movie after reading the book, I’m always disappointed.