Spring Break Reading

I finished reading Stray (Autobiography of a Dog) to my physical science classes the week before spring break. A lot of the students really liked the book and looked forward to hearing the story each day. As an extension, I took my classes to the school library the Friday before break and gave them time to select a book to read over their week off. The carrot was a promise of a 100 quiz grade for those who read a book and brought it to class when we got back, then answered a few questions about it, with no penalty for those who chose not to read a book. I was surprised at how many students picked out a book, and how many wrote thoughtful responses to my questions. I think a lot more students would read on their own if we would give them opportunities to just get a book from the library rather than expect them to go get one on their own. Maybe once some of them see how much fun it is, they will get hooked. I plan to do this with future classes.