Using Book-it for homeschooling

by Andrea Hermitt | More from this Blogger

17 Sep 2008 04:41 PM

There is a conversation over in the homeschool forums discussing whether or not the Book-It program that bribes students to read in exchange for Pizza is a good idea as homeschoolers do not or should not need bribes in order to read of to learn. Book-it is a pizza hut program that encourages reading while rewarding children with pizza and other prizes.

Fundamentally, I agree with the argument because I am just dead set against bribing students to learn. Meanwhile, however, as my students/ children get older, I am realizing that there may be a necessity to bribe them to strive for perfection. They have no problems with learning. They love it. They prefer to do it spontaneously and without help. The problem comes in documenting what they have done and summarizing what they have learned.

Basically, as I see it, they like learning, but don't care to show what they have learned. To me this is problematic because no one is going to pay you to be smart. They are going to pay you for demonstrating your intelligence on their behalf. With that said, I have to say that using a program like Book-it, while they are already motivated to learn, will also motivate them to record what they have learned.

At the end of the day, free pizza is free pizza and this economy is rough! If you still don't want to use the Book-It program to get your children to read and record what they have written, just take note of what they read, ask them the pertinent questions and write it down, and get the free pizza. The kids never even have to know where it came from!

Oh... and don't forget to participate in the forum discussion.

More about the Book-It program

Learn more about Andrea Hermitt

Andrea Hermitt is a native New Yorker currently residing in GA. She has been married for over 16 years and has two teenage children.

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Nola Redd (7081) 17 Sep 2008 05:19 PM

I think ultimately I'm going to hit the free-pizza-no-source-needed route. I think you are definitely right about not-paid-to-be-smart, and the motivation to record what is learned. Thanks so much!

Tristi Pinkston (10839) 17 Sep 2008 08:28 PM

Hey, I like that idea! Get the pizza and don't connect it to the learning! Sneaky, very sneaky, but I like . . .

I don't like the idea of "bribing" my children to learn, but I'm not opposed to recognizing their accomplishments, either. It does become a fine line to walk sometimes.

TomCGreer (24) 11 Nov 2008 08:39 PM

As an elementary teacher who has used various programs to endourage reading, such as Book-It, I have found that those who really are going to read will read without the motivation. But also consider this, many people get up in the morning, go to work all day, maybe at jobs they don't like, and they do it because of the reward, a paycheck. Is reading a certain number of books or certain amount of time really much different from that? We all work or provide service to get a reward....Are we being bribed to work? Not trying to be devil's advocate, but just some food for thought..............As a children's author, I am thankful for different companies wanting to provide some form of motivation to the kids............