HIT: (Overdue!) Ideas for returning books on time

[Terrie Hinojosa <hinojosa_baker@YAHOO.COM>]

Thanks for all of the input received! You guys are the best.

An overall reward I use to great satisfaction is the "Literary Tea."
Students (as a class) earn points for behavior rubrics, lesson rubrics
and for turning in all their books. As soon as they fill up their
chart, they get a Literary Tea, in which they dress up and bring
something they have written in writer's
workshop (a daily activity in every classroom) and I provide "tea"
(juice and cookies). It's all very formal and the children love it.
I've had positive feedback from parents and area administration as
well.

As I was reading your message, I wondered....would be appropriate to
announce on the P.A. the names of teachers whose students returned all
their books that day/week?

How about one of those charts like you often see at factories:
__________ days without any injuries---______classes without any
overdues?  Maybe
eventually, __________days without any overdues?

How about a ROBOT poster with the names of teachers whose classes
currently are 'up to date'?

My only concern is the fact that some kids may decide that they'd
rather not check out at all than risk overdues.  I had a few families
that did that at my former school, despite my pleas to the contrary!

How about an amnesty period for all books that remained overdue during
the summer or even past years. You could acknowledge those who
returned the most. Altho, that could be hard. Overduers might want to
be anonymous.

With the younger students, K and 1 I give stickers to the students who
return their books each class period.  This is quite an incentive to
them, but not much above grade 1.

I have never done this during the year as I found at the end of the
year when I give incentive prices for everything returned the students
borrow less books in anticipation of wanting everything returned.  Why
not try a longer date due time (I use two weeks) & getting teacher
assistance when overdues come out.  Also, although probably that was
something mentioned when you were hired - you should be careful to
start out the year on a positive - I want you to be a good reader
attitude with the students.

You might want to consider having a drawing for prizes.  At the end of
each six weeks you could issue tickets to each child who has not lost
a book or who does not owe a fine.  Then you could have a drawing for
inexpensive prizes that you can get at a dollar store, or they could
win lunch with principal or librarian. You could also collect all the
tickets for the semester or year and draw for more expensive prizes.

Watch for the students who never will forget their book because they
never take it home.

In my school students in grades 1-5 are allowed to check out two books
at a
time. They may not check out any books if any books are late or until
they
are paid for if they are lost. (I instituted this several years ago
and
seems to be effective.) Since the school uses Accelerated Reader, the
majority of the students want to check out books. Usually less than 20
students (out of almost 900) each year have really overdue books and
cannot check out. We are a lower socioeconomic school with a 60%
transient rate. I
do lose books to those students who move in the middle of the night
and are never seen again. I also send overdue notices at least once a
month and mail reminder letters home to parents.

I do this for just Kindergarten and 1st grade. We have helpers each
week (two students I select who are exibiting good library behavior
when they first come in), they help lead a poem with me and then
select a library buddy (stuffed animal which are mostly literary
characters to sit with them during our story or lesson). If the whole
class remembers to bring back their books on time, the helpers get to
bring back their selected library buddy to the classroom for the week.
Then they return them to the library
when they come the next week. During the  "Library Buddy's" stay in
the classroom students are encouraged to read to it. While I am
reading or teaching the "Library Buddy's" are required to sit politely
and listen politely. I remind helper that if their "Library Buddy"
can't sit and listen
politely they will have to go back on the shelf. At the beginning I do
have to remind them and at times take one away.

Terrie Hinojosa
South Houston Elem. (TX)
hinojosa_baker@yahoo.com


Even the second and third graders sometimes like to read to a buddy
when we
have a silent reading time (I call it a Read In! and join in), I think
they
remember it from their time as helpers. Also, if we do any buddy
reading
between younger and older students in the library, the older students
always
seem to ask if they can pick out a buddy for their reading partner.












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