Monday, August 30, 2010

Celebration Books

The Celebration Book Box falls under that category of "Educational Rewards". These awards have an inherent educational value to them. They are "gifts that keep on giving" (and they are one of my kids' favorite rewards)!

I collect very good quality books from yard sale and thrift stores. (When I was in a classroom I also collected the "free book" points from the book clubs to use for ordering books.) I keep them in a special place, but you could certainly keep them in a decorated box if you have the extra space.

I keep books with a variety of subject matter, trying to keep in mind the kids' current interests. (Of course, sometimes a new topic inspires a new interest.) I also keep books of different levels and look for books of a certain series currently popular with the kids (Magic Tree House, Jigsaw Jones, Encyclopedia Brown, Arthur, Arch Books).

I most often use these when we have reached a reading goal. For six months during the school year the kids are involved in the Book-It Program through Pizza Hut. For some of the other months, we use the Celebration Books.

It's also handy to have some of these books around for the end of thematic units in history and science. A homemade "Certificate of Completion" and a great book on space are often welcomed at the end of a fun unit on the solar system.

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