How to defend BOOK IT!

[PrincessMom2002]

My son never notices the coupon. Some months we use it, some we don't. But we don't go out of our way to eat there just to get the free pizza. Another coupon DS gets is if he completes his monthly reading calendar (aside from the Book It program) he gets a coupon for a free waffle and drink at Waffle House. Again, some months we use it some we don't. I'd be just as happy if they got free pencils or some other reward other than food, but the coupons do come in handy sometimes.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

As someone who's always reading a book or two, I think everything in moderation is the key...even reading. If a kid spends 8 hours a day reading books with no physical activity, I'm guessing that a pan pizza a month isn't the cause of obesity.

I also disagree with the one quote in the link in the OP:

"The more kids see books as a way to get pizza or some other prize, the less interest they'll have in reading itself," Kohn, a former teacher, said in a telephone interview. "They tend to choose easier books to get through faster."

I'd guess most people who develop a love a reading find reading as it's own reward. I'd also think most of the kids who would choose easier books to read wouldn't have read any books without the program being in place. Maybe, once they get a jump start, some kids who never really gave reading a chance have picked it up and ran with it. I think the Harry Potter books got a lot of kids started reading because it was suddenly acceptable. I'd bet more than a few never stopped.

Look at our test scores compared to other countries. I have no problem with any program that voluntarily promotes reading here.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

we hardly ever use our book it coupons.

I have no problem with the program, but I feel like keeping all those reading logs and filling out the slips the teacher sends home is kind of a PITA.

I would never dream of saying to the kids

"we need to read a book now so you can get pizza."

It just doesn't seem productive to me.

 

[poohandwendy]

And to mention the nutrition aspect, I am walking out the door...but check out the nutritional analysis of a Personal Pan Cheese Pizza (no extra toppings) vs McDonalds Hamburger (no cheese) and small fries-

The pizza has more total fat, more cholesterol, more calories, more sodium, more carbohydrates, more sugars.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.index1.html
http://www.yum.com/nutrition/results.asp?BrandID=1&BrandAbbr=PH

It's interesting because generally parents see pizza as a healthier choice than a Happy meal. Just food for thought....(I am so punny!!!)

 

[kbkids]

My kids LOVED this program! We would order the pizza by phone and go in and get it and take it home. I did not order pizza for us. So yes, the book-it child got a special treat. They also earned stickers on a card toward some sort of medallion. It was a great program.

This is exactly what our area does. You don't have to stay and eat. AND our Pizza Hut does a large one-topping carry out for only $7 special all the time. So we get our large for $7, the kids get their personal pizza, and we're set for dinner for two nights for only $7!! Can't beat that!

Chick Fil A does the same thing in our area. When you read 10 books, you get a free ice cream cone, when you read 20, you get a free kid's meal.

 

[Gurgi]

Maybe if they changed to pizza to something better OTHER than Pizza Hut...

 

[gradtchr]

I loved going to Pizza Hut to get my pizza and my star sticker for my button. We never had any problem getting it to go, although yeah my parents would usually order a pizza for them it wasn't a big deal and man was I excited to get it.

I hope that when my child is in school they have this or a simillar program because it really was fun and exciting as a kid to get this.

 

[jenimay]

I'm 30 years old & we had the BOOK IT program in school.

I always have that 5 extra pounds that I can't seem to get rid of. Until now I never understood why, but now I get it. It was BOOK IT. BOOK IT may have encouraged me to read, but it also ruined my life.

HA! Agree. Really, people need to stop looking for things to be upset about. These overzealous people act like they are going to change the world one one Book It program at a time.

 

[N&B'smom]

My DS7 does this and gets the certificate every month. He's just thrilled that he accomplished what he needed to, we never actually get the pizza. If we liked Pizza Hut pizza I'm sure we would, but none of us like it very much.

Shelby

 

[Pixiedust34]

We always order our Book It pizzas as take-out. I live about 3 minutes from 2 different Pizza Huts, so it's convenient to call and pick it up while we're out running an errand or are on the way home from an appointment. They've never said anything about having to eat in the restaurant to use the Book It certificates.

 

[smartestnumber5]

ETA: My school's program was a coupon for dine-in only. You specifically weren't allowed to order it as take-out. If you could order take-out and just get the free pizza only, that would be acceptable to me, because then it's really a reward for the child and not a way to try to get you to spend money there to get your 'free' item.

Huh when I was a kid we always got the pizzas to go--but that was over a decade and a half ago.

I agree if dine in is required it's likely more of a pain than it's worth for a lot of people. And just another way for the company to make money.

 

[mrsklamc]

It was in the 80s when I did it and dine in was not required. We never ordered anything additional.

The author they quoted says that giving rewards for reading would make the kids hate reading. I want to ask him, "Really? So when you get your royalty checks, does that make you hate writing?"

Also, this place is called the campaign for a commercial free childhood, or something like that. That sounds great in theory, but let's pretend it was possible. If, when you turned 18, you had never seen any advertising while your parents were around to guide you, how much money would you spend on studpid things?

Additionally, I have no idea if this was unique to our school or not, but the books had to be age-appropriate. If you were in 5th grade, you weren't getting pizza for reading Dr.Suess. (Unless you were legitimately at that reading level in fifth grade.)