Diving for Treasure

The treasure? . . . better readers that love to read! I have an "at home" reading routine I call "Dive for Treasure". Students read and accumulate minutes. When 200 min. have been recorded on their reading log, they turn in the log, move their diver on our class display and receive a small prize. (And grab another log and go for it again!) The goal is to reach the Treasure Chest (2000 min.!) before the school year is over. I have many students that have reached the chest and are now on their second or third diver! In past years I've done "Reach for the Stars" and students moved a rocket through the solar system to get to the sun.




Here's a close-up of part of the "Dive for Treasure" bulletin board in our classroom library area. There are 10 "stops" in the dive with the 10th and final stop the Treasure Chest. Each stop is a different ocean creature.

You can see the treasure chest in the pic below. Each stop has its own reward. These are just small prizes based on an ocean theme. Some examples of the prizes are pencils, bookmarks, shells, starfish, memo pads and small ocean creature toys.

Another (very poor) pic of the bulletin board. (This was taken in Jan. - the penguin is now gone!)

When (and if! - Remember: big-time newbie here!!) I can figure out how to post documents, I'll share the parent letter and reading log (and better pictures).

I have found this to be an easily managed and highly motivating way to get kids to read outside the school day. 

What do you do to get your students to read?