Incentivizing Children to Read by Identifying What Motivates Them

INCENTIVIZING. Such an interesting word that can mean different things to different people, or even different things to the same person. Like me. I’m of the mind that “incentives” are subjective, because something that incentivizes one person may not necessarily incentivize the next person in line.

Let’s face it. Cindy might really look forward to having an ice cream treat after completing a task, but Susie is trying to stay away from sweets ’cause she’s got 5 more pounds to lose to hit her weight goal and would look at an ice cream treat as absolutely ABOMINABLE if someone approached her with it as a reward for a job well done.

Okay, so ABOMINABLE may be too strong of a word, but you get my drift. Susie DON’T WON’T NO ice cream!

You’ve heard the saying that one man’s trash can be the next man’s treasure — or something to that effect. And, this statement is exactly what I’m reminded of in the example above. Except we’re not dealing with a man or trash. In other words, what one person likes isn’t necessarily going to appeal to the next person.

One incentive doesn’t work for all people in all scenarios. So, I could easily switch our incentives example over to children and reading to reiterate the subjective nature of incentives. And what I’ve come to identify in dealing with my own children and their reading habits is that they’re all driven to read by different motivators (incentives). Each of my three babies — from pre-teen to adult — have very individualized focuses that drive their need to read. Those focuses direct . . .

• the ways in which they like to consume reading material,
• the types of reading material they like to consume,
• the times they prefer to read, and
• what incentivizes them to read in the first place.

The last one is what I’d like to focus on for this discussion. It’s the discussion that takes us to identifying . . .

WHAT MOTIVATES A CHILD TO READ.

It’s different for each child. Some motivators are present by forced entry and others have entered the premises by invitation only. Regardless of whether or not the reading motivator is a mandatory directive or by the reader’s choice, we (as adults) should want to see the children in our lives look at the reading experience as a positive one OVERALL. And whatever we can do to encourage that sentiment in practical application should be our OVERALL goal in getting a child to appreciate the activity of reading.

In my own personal example of my children and their current reading activities, I would have to say that all three have their distinctive reasons for viewing reading as an important part of their lives. And, the motivators vary from child to child.

• My oldest son, my middle child, is getting ready to graduate from college next month and is finishing out his formal educational career on a very high note. However, his academic achievements in school have required that he complete the readings assigned to him by his professors and then some in order to successfully meet his graduation requirements with honors. And although the majority of his reading assignments in college were mandatory, he willing took on the challenge of reading the materials required because he, after all, wants to graduate with his degree.
• My oldest child, my daughter, graduated with her degree several years ago and is working professionally in the engineering field. She took on a new position within her company recently and finds herself in continuous study mode in learning her new job and all the intricacies involved with it. Although some reading may be mandatory and some may be more voluntary, she’s welcomed all the reading she can take on with open arms because the knowledge gained will help her to grow more skilled in her position and make her a more valuable contributor to her department.
• My youngest son (and youngest child) has developed an enjoyment for reading. He couldn’t help but do so. He was the child that I was able to homeschool for two years, was virtually-schooled throughout Covid, and spent the most time at home with me in his very early formative years. If he was going to be at home with me, I surely was going to encourage his reading development. His Dad and I have provided him with many opportunities to use his time to grow his reading chops through reinforcing what was assigned from his teachers at school as well as offering him additional reading assignments homemade-style. And we, as his parents, have watched him mature in his vocabulary, spelling, reading comprehension, oral reading, etc. just by having him get his head out of the gaming entertainment and directing it toward a book. Now, he asks for me to get him books from the bookstore to further his collection of all his favorite series he has going on. He loves to read for enjoyment and makes time for it.

Did you see what I just did? I just used my children’s reading experiences to give some living examples of what I mean when I say “incentivizing children to read by identifying what motivates them.”

• In the first example, getting his degree is what motivates my son to get his mandatory reading assignments done. The reading for leisure has pretty much gone by the wayside for the majority of this senior year of college. And I’m not saying he doesn’t enjoy the reading he has to do for school. I’m sure some of it is probably very interesting to him because it’s aligned with his career focus. However, ALL of the reading isn’t what I would call the most enjoyable. But my son reads it anyway, because the reading is a means to an end (goal).
• In the second example, becoming more knowledgeable in her job is what motivates my daughter to read and read and read. Reading for work is what needs to be done to acquire that additional book knowledge needed to keep moving forward in her proficiencies with her job functions.
• In the third example, being entertained is where it’s at for Little Man. And if that means he has to give up some of that entertainment time from gaming over to book reading, so be it. It’s all good as long as he’s continuously fed with books that pique his interest and keep him wanting to go back for more.

While my children are driven to read by the motivators relevant to them, I am well aware that a different line up of motivators move other children to read. Getting a degree, becoming more knowledgeable in a job, or being entertained aren’t on everyone’s agenda. So, it’s crucial that each young reader is encouraged to read, based on factors that entice the child to develop a healthy reading life.

Here are some suggestions:

-If children like being entertained by books, make sure to get them books they find entertaining. Simple as that.

-If children have mandatory readings on materials that don’t interest them, incentivize them to read their assignments by providing the children with tangible rewards (like the ice cream treat mentioned above) that are meaningful to them.

-If children enjoy gaining knowledge, then the intrinsic value of acquiring that knowledge through reading may be all that is necessary to incentivize those children. Taking them to the library or bookstore to get books is probably high on the priorities list for these children.

-If children are self-motivated and goal-oriented when it comes to reading, they may not need any incentivizing at all. Accomplishing the overall goal may be all that matters (with or without a reward attached).

-And all children appreciate being recognized for the work they put in. So, positive reinforcement in written form or verbally IS ALWAYS a welcomed way to incentivize children to develop their reading skills.