Reading Incentive Programs

by Debbi Angiolieri and Linda Cheresnowski

Bibliography & Suggested Resources

    Rather than list a complete bibliography, below are sources of information that are useful that we did not mention in any other location on this website.   If we listed the resource beside the title of the program in a table, we did not list it here.  We hope this format saves you time from wading through the same information twice.

Adler, Jay C. and others. "A Middle School Experiment: Can Token Economy Improve Reading Achievement Scores?"  Chicago, IL: Presented at Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Educational Research Association, 1989.  ERIC Document #312 620.

A study of 245 sixth graders who participated in the Pizza Hut "Book It" Program.  Results claim there was no statistical evidence that reading achievement scores improved as a result of participation in the reading incentive program.

Briggs, Kerri L. and Catherine Clark. "Reading Programs for Students in the Lower Elementary Grades: What Does the Research Say?"  From the Texas Center for Educational Research Website at http://www.tasb.org/tcer/reading.html.  August 1997.

A comprehensive study and discussion of reading programs, approaches to reading, and  classroom supplements to reading instruction (such as various reading incentive programs). 

Carter, Betty.  "Hold the Applause." School Library Journal (42), October 1996, p.22.

Questions the value of reading incentive programs and presents concerns over such programs. 

"Components of Effective Reading Programs." Located at: http://www.esc14.net/esc14/ccis/reading_effectiveprograms.htm.

A list of twelve vital components in effective reading programs. 

"Encouraging the Young Reader."  From Read, Write, Now Activities for Writing and Reading Fun, May 1997 located at: http://www.ed.gov/Family/RWN/Activ97/young.html.

Various neat activities to foster a love of reading in young children in grades 3-6. 

Jay, M. Ellen and Hilda L. Jay.  Ready-to-Go Reading Incentive Programs for Schools and Libraries.  New York: Neal Schuman.

An excellent resource that provides sample reading incentive programs and directions for their use. 

Kohn, Alfie.  "Newt Gingerich's Reading Plan: Money Is the Wrong Motivator for Kids."  Education Week (14), April 19, 1995, p. 524. 

An anti-reward stance is taken in this article, which is a discussion of what types of rewards motivate kids. 

Moore, Paula. "The Bottom Line on Reading Programs: Most Work Some of the Time, With Some Students."  Education News, April 15, 1998.  Posted on College of Education and Human Development Website located at: http://www.ume.maine.edu/~cofed/news/4-15-98.htm.

A brief discussion of various approaches to reading and their results. 

Sardes, D.M. Reading Incentive Programs. Formerly located at: http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dmsardes/index4.html.

A wonderful resource which has recently been removed from the web, probably due to this graduate student graduating from college.  If you know a new address to this wonderful site or how to get in touch with the author, please let us know.

Zamparelli, Debra. "Creating the Habit of Recreational Reading in Third Grade Students Through the Development of a Literature Environment, Parental Involvement, and Attitude Adjustment."  Nova University Dissertation, 1990.  ERIC Document #331 033.

A practicum that was created to increase the frequency of student reading through classroom changes, providing daily reading time and discussion time, parental involvement, and changes in attitude.