Students at Critzer Elementary School will now have a new way to earn a new book, as the school has welcomed a new program that encourages good behavior and additional reading.
“Title I and Critzer Elementary are proud to have a new book vending machine,” Mrs. Rachel Simmers, Title I Reading Specialist said. “Students have a Book Token cards with 10 slots for hole punches. Students earn a hole punch for exemplary behavior. Once a student earns 10 hole punches, the teacher will send the student to the office for a book token that they can use in the machine.”
The new book vending machine was officially opened for business Friday when fourth-grade student Steven Akers, Jr. received his coin and used it to buy the book “The Great Penguin Rescue” by Sandra Markle. Akers is a student in Mrs. Brunner’s class, and resides in Pulaski with Scott and Tonya White. Akers and CES Librarian Brian Compton officially cut the ribbon to open the machine for business.
“A part of Title I is to encourage students to be life-long readers,” Mrs. Simmers said. “We put books in the hands of our students and families to help build home libraries. Motivating students to make exemplary choices and read self-selected books is a win-win. Title I and Critzer are promoting beneficial life-long habits of being productive members of a community and a love for literature.”
The machine is located in the cafeteria at CES and students will pass by it each day on their way to lunch, reminding them of the opportunity.
“Choice is widely acknowledged as a method for enhancing motivation,” Simmers continued. “Allowing young children to make even a minimal task choice increased learning from the task and enhanced subsequent interest in the activity (Cordova & Lepper, 1996; Iyengar & Lepper, 1999). Worthy and McKool (1996) found that allowing students to make choices about their reading material increased the likelihood that they would engage more in reading. In addition, Guthrie and Wigfield (2000) suggest that providing genuine student choices increases effort and commitment to reading. Earning tokens and "buying" books from a vending machine is a wonderful motivator and highly engaging for our Critzer Critters!”
“We want to use every opportunity to encourage our students to read more,” CES Principal Mr. Tony Viers said. “Joining that with the opportunity to reward good behavior only makes it a better program. We’re very thankful and excited to offer this program to our students.”
To see more photos from the ribbon cutting, click this LINK.