Avid reader kid dominates reading contest, library director miffed

[Jovvi]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Perhaps instead of suggesting that the kid stop participating she should have just instituted a change in how it's done when the contest is announced the next time. There's no reason that the rules need to stay the same from year to year, but there's no reason to whine about a kid who loves to read and is following your rules. Make it a group goal and give all the kids who participate a party or something.

This! So well said!

[jersysman]

If the contest is indeed a contest to see who reads the most books, then you cannot punish a child for actually reading the most books. What kind of message will this send? Contest for children at that age are, most of the time, not a good idea. It does discourage the ones that do not win and that should not be the goal at this age. Participation should be the goal. The adults here need to come up with something better that will encourage the children to read more and not discourage the others. Some of these have already been mentioned. Prizes for each participant? A team reading competition? I really like the idea of getting a ticket for reading a set amount of books and the more you read, the more tickets you have. They should definitely not have just one winner. All children participating in events such as this are all winners and should be treated as such.

[astrangerhere]

If the other kids are dropping out because they don't have a chance to "win" what are very, very nominal prizes, then they aren't doing it for a love of reading either. This brings up an entirely different issue of kids who have to have their reading incentivized. Would Tyler still read 63 books if there were no contest at all? I argue that the answer is likely yes. The library assistant points out that they boys are regulars at the library year round. Would the children who drop out because they can't beat Tyler read at all if there were no contest to begin with? These are separate problems with separate solutions, but either way the librarian was out of line in her comments to the press.

As an educator, I am appalled that a library official would not chose his or her words more carefully in speaking to the press. She might as well have been Severus Snape taking points away from Griffyndor for Hermione being an "insufferable know it all" in the Harry Potter series.

I have to heartily agree with the OP. "When everyone is super... the no one will be."

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by jersysman

It does discourage the ones that do not win and that should not be the goal at this age. Participation should be the goal. The adults here need to come up with something better that will encourage the children to read more and not discourage the others. [...] All children participating in events such as this are all winners and should be treated as such.

Easy enough to do.

"If you read 1-5 books, you win.... a prize."
"If you read 6-10 books, you win.... a bigger prize."
"If you read 11-15 books, you win.... an even bigger prize."

And for all people reading more than 15 books, they win the biggest prize, and 50% discount on a year's library access. The person with the most books gets a year of free access.

This way, everybody who finishes one book wins something, and there's incentive to read more.

edit: The prizes can be quite small. The smallest can be a bag of candy from a local store. Every kid who finishes one or two books comes away with a bag of candy at least. To win something bigger, you'll need to finish 6 books, which requires the sustained effort of reading at least 1 book a week. The prize could be a ticket to go see a movie in the theatre.

When putting in the effort of reading 2 books a week, you end up in the highest category (you've read 12 books, so you have some buffer time). The biggest prize could be to go see a movie and go to McDonalds afterward. And, you may actually stand a chance to get the 50% library access discount on top of that.

All of this stuff could be easily sponsored by the local grocery store, movie theathre and McDonalds, assuming that there aren't going to be 5.000 kids in this contest. It's cheap advertisment for them.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by rkomar

If the point of the contest is to encourage children to read rather than to pick a clear winner, then I can see why the director is annoyed. If the other kids stop participating because they have no chance of competing, then the whole plan falls apart.

Winning without effort is not the best method for preparing children for life.

Making it a contest implies one must compete, and there is for many a chance to compete if they really try.

A challenge is something different. Challenge everybody to read 10 books and have secondary prize for 5. That would give a lot of children a chance for a prize. Still there would be just as many discouraged. Imagine the how poor slow reader who couldn't read four books or even worse couldn't answer the questions would feel if everyone got an award but them.

Helen

[exaltedwombat]

It was probably foolish to make it a contest in the first place. Anyway, how did he prove he READ all those books rather than just taking them home and bringing them back?

It's standard practice in any sort of contest to say: "Two wins and you go on the Roll of Honour, but no more competing!"

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by exaltedwombat

It was probably foolish to make it a contest in the first place. Anyway, how did he prove he READ all those books rather than just taking them home and bringing them back?

It's standard practice in any sort of contest to say: "Two wins and you go on the Roll of Honour, but no more competing!"

There were questions asked about each book and apparently he did a thorough job answering them.

Helen

[mycurlylocks]

Competitions are nothing but contests by peer pressure. He wins, the other children dislike him. Not an example the libraries or teachers should set. Peer pressure in the schools usually causes some unstable young adults. You'd think the libraries would realize this too.

Every child that reads, deserves a prize. They don't have to make them large prizes, kids that age are happy with almost anything. Or a pizza party for all the contestants.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by mycurlylocks

Competitions are nothing but contests by peer pressure. He wins, the other children dislike him. Not an example the libraries or teachers should set. Peer pressure in the schools usually causes some unstable young adults. You'd think the libraries would realize this too.

Every child that reads, deserves a prize. They don't have to make them large prizes, kids that age are happy with almost anything. Or a pizza party for all the contestants.

The other children do not always dislike the winner. Depends on the people involved. I've known some very popular constant overachievers in school, and some unpopular ones.

And I agree that every child should get a prize occasionally. never mind if they read. There should be prizes for a lot of different categories, and of course actually passing your exams in school and not having to repeat is a prize in itself. Maybe they should all get a gift certificate with it.

But a prize for just participating seems a bit odd. Just sign up and get a prize like a vacuum demonstration? Can our library and school systems afford a prize for every child? And can the children expect this all through school and through their adult life? No doubt they may , but will it happen.

Helen

[glnnjnsn]

Originally Posted by mycurlylocks

Competitions are nothing but contests by peer pressure. He wins, the other children dislike him. Not an example the libraries or teachers should set. Peer pressure in the schools usually causes some unstable young adults. You'd think the libraries would realize this too.

Every child that reads, deserves a prize. They don't have to make them large prizes, kids that age are happy with almost anything. Or a pizza party for all the contestants.

According to the article, they do have a party at the end for everyone who reads more than 10 books. And the prizes for reading the most weren't exactly the stuff of legend either: water bottle, atlas, etc.

In fact, there seemed to be some ambiguity as to what their summer program was: the aide seemed to emphasize the competition aspect, while the librarian stressed that it was supposed to be a reading club.

[ProfCrash]

A reading competition is silly. I like that they have a party at the end of the 6 weeks and that kids who read 10 books get to participate. Check with local businesses and get gift certificates for kids that are awarded based on how many books they read. 5 books gets you a free ice cream, 10 gets you a free sunday, somthing along those lines. Give a certificate to each kid with how many books that you read.

This isn't a sport. His love of reading and learning will pay off in the class room just like practice running helps a track athlete or going to the batting cages helps a baseball player.

[soulfuldog]

You can see where she's coming from but telling him not to enter isn't the way to make it better. Besides, could you see the head teacher of Usain Bolt's primary school telling him not to enter the annual sports day because he kept winning it every year and the other kids didn't have a chance?

[QuantumIguana]

I think they should drop the contest. The goal is to encourage reading, but this doesn't do it. This kid doesn't need any encouragement. It's like gym class focusing on the best athletes, and leaving those most in need of physical education out in the cold. A football game is not about getting kids to be more physically fit, but gym class is, and I see the goal of such programs to be more like a gym class than a football game.

Focusing on the number of books encourages reading simpler, shorter books and encourages rushing through books. I'm not saying this kid is doing either of these, but the incentive is there.

[exaltedwombat]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

A football game is not about getting kids to be more physically fit, but gym class is, and I see the goal of such programs to be more like a gym class than a football game.

At school level the football program should also have an element of inclusiveness, and the possibility of playing at a casual "keep fit" level as well as going out for the top team.

PLEASE let the fastest win sometimes! But reading isn't a competitive sport.

UNLESS - and it's a big unless - in this particular library, with this particular staff and these particular kids it all worked well, everyone had a good time and lots of kids read more than they would have. Dogma mustn't destroy something good.

I worked at one elementary school where one teacher was a chess fanatic. That school swept the board at regional championships. Horribly elitist! But it worked, the whole school shared in the pride, and it would have been idiotic to stop it.

[davidnicol]

So send him to regionals! And if he wins that too, nationals! C'mon, librarian, if you play your cards right YOUR LIBRARY COULD BE WHERE THE 2020 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST IN READING GOT HIS START