Tracey Hill

Module 5
CONT 997

Promoting Reading: BC & Beyond

Reading Pay$
This is an idea I found on a blog by a teacher librarian called Mrs. Decker in the library. I like it
as it seems to combine ideas from a few of the more popular reading programs out there. Mrs.
Decker wanted to encourage students to read a variety of books, increase the number of books
they read as well as promote book discussions.

How it Works:
Each month students are given the opportunity to earn a million dollars (fake although in Canada
I can only find $100 bills) by reading books from their grade list. Any grade can participate as it
is up to the librarian to choose the books on each list. She changes the book titles every couple of
months and each has a theme. For example:
o Sept. to Oct. - Read an award-winning book
o Nov. to Dec. – Science or History themed books that tie to what they are learning
about in class
o Jan. to Feb. – Black History Month/SOGI books etc.
o Mar. to Apr. – BC books or Poetry and Art books
o May to Jun. – Indigenous books
This is where the librarian can get creative with what topics they want the students to focus on.

Before they Get the Million Dollars:

Similar to Battle of the Books, the students have to write a paragraph about the book or a review
form. There would be a short book talk where the student would read this aloud to the class and
then be awarded the money. The paragraphs are displayed with their photo in the library. This is
taken down halfway through the year and then filled again.

Spending the Money:

Mrs. Decker sets up a “6-5-4 Bookstore” full of discarded books for sale, erasers, bookmarks,
puzzles and other prizes for students to spend their million dollars on. They have the option to
keep the money too! At the end the class with the most Million Dollar readers wins an award.

I love this idea as it allows for ways to collaborate with teachers about possible books, they want
their students to read and a way to encourage students to read a variety of books. This is also a
great idea when there is a concern over the library budget. I know for Battle of the Books this
year we ended up having to order a few of the books on the list. Sometimes that won’t be an
option so this way the librarian can choose great books that are already in the library or new
books that came in at the end of the previous school year.

Reference:

http://mrsdeckerinthelibrary.blogspot.com