When it was done, Toarmina had some fun of her own, tracking down some of the students as she dripped and her mascara ran. In Sandra Stepter's first-grade class, top reader Bryant Ford ducked under his desk when he spied Toarmina in the doorway. It was a big, wet one. For most, the incentives work well. Students walking through the halls consistently stop to check the class and school incentive charts, which track points.
Reading remains the school's strongest area on achievement tests.
As for the kids who fall behind, they're not forgotten. I sat and fussed for a while and talked to the kids. Then I set a goal for them by March 15. Each had a goal to reach, and the group was allowed to pick a reward for reaching it. They'd go bowling.