Why does RWS use rewards?

Using small rewards is time efficient. It takes less than half the time to learn how to read when rewards are used. When using rewards, use a “menu of prizes” (which we usually call the Trading List) -  allow your child to choose the reward s/he wants. Happy children learn faster and remember longer. A “menu of prizes” can be easily adapted to bring extra happiness to any child.

Trading List

The power of prizes multiplies the benefits of giving each child lots of choices. Using a trading list almost daily is one example of giving frequent choices. And, giving frequent choices is one of the ways to ensure that your child is happy during your sessions.

Besides the trading list, I often use – as a reward – giving Susy a copy of a page that she has just read successfully & independently, both right side up and upside down, saying to Susy, “This page is for you to take home to keep! You can read it again to yourself whenever you want to, and you can read it to anybody else! Do you think your grandma (or little sister/ big brother…) might like to hear you read it?”

Suzy with page to take home

I also suggest that my new reader might like to color the page. Then we talk about colors for real animals and make-believe animals.

For an in-need child, I usually add, “Read that page to me again all by yourself and I’ll give you that color crayon(s) to use and to keep.”

And then I also add to her Trading List:

one new crayon for 3 stickers

one used crayon for 2 stickers

Notice how I use our lesson minutes for so much besides traditional reading. It’s certainly motivating to a child to learn to read about things that s/he can actually earn! And earn even more stickers for trying to read — with a reading-window of course  — each new Trading List item! It’s all part of playing the Reading Window Game and learning to read with enjoyment and understanding.

What if Suzy isn’t excited about a lollipop or any of the other prizes on your trading list?

If this happens, no need to fret. Ask Susy what she would like to win, and give her some choices. You might ask her “Would you like peanuts or cheerios?” or any number of prizes that are easy for you to add to the list. You can create your trading list together so that Susy feels she is earning something she really does want. Giving children the chance to exercise choice is a wonderful thing: it teaches them about making decisions and it is empowering.

( Try offering your child choices in other areas of your life, too. For example ” You can eat your sandwich on a plate on the bed or you eat your sandwich without a plate in the kitchen, which would you like?” )

The method makes a strong distinction between what we want the child to do and giving the child choices. If we want the child to do something, we say “Let’s do this…,” or “I’d like you to read this…”  or  “I’d like you to read this more slowly…” etc.  Giving a choice is like “Which of these three books would you like to read now?” Or “Which of these windows would you like to use?” Piper mentioned that children most often choose the windows made of cereal boxes. Some windows are made from playing cards; sometimes the windows are decorated by the parents with colorful things like fire engines.