I don't know your age, so you may not understand. Remember those gum ball machines with those distasteful sizeable rings. (They are probably still around). I had to have one every time I could scrounge up a quarter. I don't know why they go so crazy about them, but they do. I think they are exposed to so many high tech toys anymore that simple things like that are refreshing to them. Girls as well as boys seem to like them.

Hi CBrooks. Thanks for the reply. I figured they were like the tags our soldiers wear, but I was wondering how you use them - what do they stand for and what makes the children want them and obtain them? Thanks!

We have dog tags for AR prizes too. I just noticed that today. We also have yo-yo's with our emblem on them.

Kimandkids-Those dog tags are just like the ones soliers wear, (almost) they just come in bulk.

Ok - we have the AR program, but I haven't heard of the dog tag thing you guys are talking about. I'm interested though since the actual program changed for us last year. Can you send me something Momi-O? Greatly appreciate it!

Krista- You can get the dog tags from Oriental Trading. Our fourth grade got those last year to sell at a booth for Spring Fling, they sold out in no time.

We had a very large bulletin board in our lunch room. It was divided up into the clubs. 5pt. Club-25 pt. Clubs go by every 5 pts. until after 25 pts. then it is every 25 pts to make it to another point club. Their names were put on stars and put under the correct point club, but they kept getting knocked off so our principal had each grade/teacher to make their own chart to put outside their room. One teacher does fish with the child's name and points on it. One grade made a large apple and has apples with the children's names and points, and one grade has ice cream cones and every time the child moves up they get another scoop. We have never had a problem with any one feeling left out to my knowledge (we did have a mom,however, if her child's star wasn't changed immediately). It makes some kids want to try a little harder to keep up with their friends, but all in all, the kids that aren't interested much in reading doesn't pay any attention to it. We also give AR trophies at the end of the year with the child that received the most points in each room.

They ordered different prizes last year. I know we've had pencils, crayon banks, sun glasses, cup holders, zipper clips, hakky sak footballs, AR bumper stickers with the school logo, rulers, license plates with school logo, sports cups with school logo, pom poms. That is all I can remember right now.

[ 09-11-2003, 08:08 AM: Message edited by: C. Brooks ]

Please just be considerate of the kids who will never make the wall. Many students, for various reasons, will not make goal and will be very discouraged about not having their picture on the wall. Also, these kinds of efforts make motivation external rather than intrinsic for reading. AR tests ask only literal questions and do not encourage higher level thinking.
Read for enjoyment and knowledge; not for points or dogtags.