The quickest path to reading competency is to successfully complete as many stories as possible while maintaining accuracy and comprehension. And yet, you may notice your child prefers to work at a leisurely pace—unconcerned with how many stories they're passing each week. How can you motivate them to increase the number of words and stories they read?

Over the years, we've collected a few tips and tricks for parents like you:

• The Point System. This good old-fashioned incentive program can yield great results. Give your child a certain number of points every time they pass a story—for example 10 points per story. When they reach a certain number of points—for example, 100 points—they earn a reward. Young readers love small prizes like stickers. Be sure to verbally recognize your child's achievements, too. You will get the best results if you pair point distribution with well-deserved verbal praise.

• Story Options. Celebrate your child's success with appropriate program adjustments. Offer a reduced number of required read alongs or practices as a reward for consistent accuracy on the quiz and pass timings. If your child scores 100% (or whatever you determine is appropriate) on several quizzes in a row and passes stories with a low number of errors (ideally two or fewer) on their first attempt, allow them to drop the number of required read alongs or practices by one. This will help them move through the program more quickly. In order to maintain this privilege, their scores need to stay high.
  
  These incentives can also be tied into the points system. Reduced read alongs or practices can be offered as rewards for a certain number of points earned.
   
• Personal Progress Monitoring. When developing readers take responsibility for their own success, they can progress more quickly. While progress monitoring is already built into the One Minute Reader program through points and progress graphs, we also offer several free printables to make the reading process more interactive, motivating, and progress-oriented for your developing reader. Click here for Blank Graphs, Student Surveys, Story Title Labels, a Weekly Story Tracker, and more!

Note that we are not encouraging students to skim or speed read. Passing stories requires careful reading, comprehension, and accuracy, and readers are held accountable to meet the pass criteria in order to move ahead. As they build fluency, they will be able to read and pass stories more quickly, which will accelerate them toward reading proficiency. Be sure to keep tabs on their comprehension and accuracy throughout the process, and make adjustments if these elements start to slide. 

Parents are awesome at motivating their children to do things they may not want to do. Use this superpower to help your child make optimal progress in reading. And if you have additional tricks up your sleeve, please share them! We would love to pass your wisdom along to other parents.