I am very lucky to have an amazing friend and colleague who listens to and helps generate some great ideas. I’m not sure where the original thought for this one came from, but together we have created the concept of Reading Beads.
The aim is to encourage students to read widely and to enjoy the books they read. I will have a year 1/2 class this year and my friend is having a year 4. The great thing is that Reading Beads can be adapted to suit all age groups. This is an alternative to the simple star chart to reward reading efforts.
I found 1000 small beads for $3 at Big W this week, and used plastic strings from a $2 shop. Each student will be able to write their name on their tag at the bottom of their Reading Bead string to make sure they are easily to identify. I have also bought some shiny star shaped beads as a further incentive. For every 5 books that students read, they will be allowed to put a special bead on their Reading Bead string.
I’m looking forward to evaluating how this idea goes in the classroom, now I just need to get back to school and get started!
