Engaging middle and high school students in reading can be challenging, but with creativity and the right tools, it’s possible to spark schoolwide excitement for books. Two school librarians, Chris Young from Metairie Park Country Day School and Erin Bechdel from Beaver-Area Middle School-High School, have successfully used Beanstack to motivate their students. By incorporating incentives, recognition, and a touch of friendly competition, they’ve built reading cultures that students eagerly participate in—transforming reading from a task into something to celebrate.
The 3 F’s: A Winning Formula for Reading Engagement
At Metairie Park Country Day School, Chris Young, Director of Libraries for grades 6–12, has been using Beanstack for two years. In this short time, he has discovered creative ways to motivate his students. His secret? The three F’s: Food, Fame, and Friendly Competition.
Food as Motivation
Chris knows his students are highly motivated by food, so he incorporates food-related rewards into monthly challenges. For instance, his school partnered with local businesses last year to offer fun incentives like Creole Creamery ice cream, Bomb Pops, Bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cakes, and even a hot cocoa bar during the winter. His students loved it, and these rewards kept them looking forward to the next challenge.
Fame and Recognition
To further motivate his students, Chris created digital leaderboards that displayed the names of students who unlocked their reading badges each month. These leaderboards were displayed on monitors across campus, allowing students to see who excelled in the challenges. He also announced these names at assemblies, creating a sense of pride and recognition. As it turns out, fame is a powerful motivator for students when their achievements are celebrated publicly.
Friendly Competition
Another strategy Chris uses is tapping into students' competitive natures. Chris encourages friendly rivalry by grouping students by grade level on the leaderboards and even pitting grade levels against one another. The competition got even fiercer when he introduced a Red vs. Blue challenge, aligning with the school’s team spirit. This gamified approach helps to make reading fun and encourages more participation.
Building Challenges That Work
Chris thoughtfully designed his reading challenges to be accessible, especially for high school students with busy schedules stuffed with coursework, extracurriculars, and jobs. By making the initial challenges easy to complete, students were more likely to participate. As they became more accustomed to using Beanstack, he gradually made the challenges more demanding. This careful balance ensured that participation remained high throughout the school year.
Collaborating with Faculty
In addition to engaging students, Chris actively involves faculty and staff in Beanstack challenges. Teachers from all grades, including elementary, participate alongside the students; their names are on the leaderboards. This inclusive approach helps to foster a community-wide reading culture. Additionally, Chris collaborates with English teachers to bring classes to the library for book displays promoting challenges, further encouraging participation.
“It was important to make [challenges] feel doable in the beginning. These kids are busy…To get them engaged with these competitions, they couldn't require a major time commitment. For that reason, I initially designed the challenges to be easier to complete.”
- Chris Young, Director of Libraries, Metairie Park Country Day School
Advice for Engaging Students in Beanstack
Chris’s advice is simple yet effective: focus on Food, Fame, and Friendly Competition. He also emphasizes the importance of the badge system, noting how it motivates both students and teachers. Publicizing each reader's success through Beanstack has sparked conversations around reading across the school, increasing library traffic and book circulation.
Building a Culture of Reading with Fun Competitions and Teamwork
At Beaver-Area Middle School-High School, librarian Erin Bechdel has spent the past three years finding innovative ways to inspire her students to read. Her approach combines incentives, interactive games, and school-wide competitions to motivate and excite students about reading challenges. By collaborating with staff and infusing reading into everyday school life, Erin has cultivated an engaging and supportive environment that fosters a love of reading across all grade levels. Here are three ways she brings Beanstack to life in her school.
1. Incentives and Recognition
For summer and winter break reading challenges, Erin motivates her students with tickets for prizes like gift cards, books, and other reading swag. She adds an element of surprise by visiting homerooms to play "Let’s Make a Deal," where students choose between a guaranteed gift card or taking a risk with mystery prizes. This interactive approach keeps students excited about the challenges and rewards.
2. Advisory Challenges and Yearlong Competitions
One popular challenge at Erin’s school is an annual advisory competition from February to April. In addition to weekly and monthly prizes, the top advisories earn points toward the Bobcat Cup, a yearlong challenge that combines academic and physical activities. This integration of reading into a larger school competition keeps students engaged and motivated.
3. Collaborating with Staff
Erin works closely with the faculty, particularly in grades 6–8, to design reading challenges for their classes. Teachers are also encouraged to participate, and faculty prizes help maintain excitement among staff. This collaboration ensures that the entire school community is involved in building a reading culture.
Top Tips to Rally Readers in Beanstack
Erin’s top tip? Get excited! She often shares her own Beanstack streak with students (over 650 days) to inspire them. She also regularly posts winners on a bulletin board and makes announcements to build momentum. Erin hosts parties and hands out “pop-up” prizes like popcorn and lollipops throughout the year to reward readers and create a fun, energetic environment around reading.
Transform Your Reading Culture
Both Chris and Erin highlight the value of creativity, recognition, and collaboration in making reading challenges successful. By using Beanstack to foster a sense of competition, celebrate achievements, and reward students in fun ways, they have transformed their schools into reading communities where students look forward to the next challenge. Whether through food, fame, friendly competition, or a little bit of mystery, their approaches show that reading can become a beloved part of school culture with the right incentives.
Contact our team today to see what Beanstack can do for your community!