She paid her kid $100 to read a book. Experts say results may vary
In a world where technology seems to dominate every aspect of our lives, parents often struggle to get their kids to put down their phones and pick up a book. Mireille Silcoff, a Montreal mother and author, found herself in this exact predicament with her eldest daughter. Despite her best efforts to encourage her daughter to read for fun, the allure of social media apps was too strong to resist.
Desperate to instill a love of reading in her daughter, Silcoff decided to take a different approach. She offered her daughter $100 in exchange for reading Jenny Han’s bestselling young adult novel, The Summer I Turned Pretty, in a month. While some experts may argue that offering rewards for reading could make the activity seem transactional, Silcoff believed that the end justified the means.
To her surprise, her daughter finished the first book in just two weeks and eagerly asked for the next in the trilogy. She even listened to the third book as an audiobook. Although her daughter eventually returned to her phone as her primary pastime, Silcoff felt that the experiment was a success. She believed that her daughter now understood the power of novels and the joy that reading can bring.
While some experts may question the effectiveness of using rewards to incentivize reading, Silcoff stands by her decision. She believes that any parent struggling to get their child to read should consider trying a similar approach. However, other experts, such as Vivian Howard, caution against making reading a transactional activity. They argue that reading for pleasure should be intrinsically motivated, driven by the child’s own desire rather than external rewards.
Despite the ongoing battle with technology, it’s important to remember that many kids go through phases where they stop reading, only to pick up the habit again later in life. Colleen Jones, a teacher-librarian in Toronto, emphasizes the importance of letting kids read what they want, in whatever format they prefer. Whether it’s magazines, manga, or graphic novels, reading is reading, and all forms should be encouraged.
In the end, the key to fostering a love of reading in children lies in creating a positive and nurturing environment that values learning and exploration. By modeling a good relationship with books, exposing children to a variety of reading materials, and allowing them to choose what they want to read, parents can help cultivate a lifelong love of reading in their children. And if all else fails, limiting screen time and providing alternative activities can help redirect children’s attention away from their devices and towards the written word.
