Reach For The Stars!! (RFTS) Reading
Incentive Program
What is RFTS?
RFTS is a reading incentive program. Reading is the key that unlocks the mind! In a world
where only one out of every ten adults walks into a bookstore, we need to help our
children learn to love books. Here is a program that will help put fun, educational books
into the hands of our children at home and at school.
RFTS is a pledge-based reading
incentive program that returns every cent pledged back to the organization. It rewards children for reading with books. With at least a 100% return, what could be
better?
How Does RFTS Work?
There are two program options to choose from:
1) FUND RAISER - Your organization receives 30% in cash of the money
pledged. The other 70% will be divided between the student participants (50%) and the
school (20%). Students use their allotment to
select books from their wishlists for personal ownership, and the school uses their
allotment to select books that will stock bookshelves in the library, classrooms, reading
intervention program – the possibilities are endless.
2) BOOK & READING BONANZA
– 100% of the pledge money is used to purchase
books and educational materials from the entire Usborne catalog; 50% to the student
participants, and 50% to the school. An extra
10% in books is available with this program for additional teacher or student reading
incentives.
What Is The Goal of RFTS?
The primary goal of RFTS is to have children read, or be read to, a minimum of 30 minutes
per school day – totaling 300 minutes of reading during a two week period. Student participants collect pledges from friends,
neighbors, and family. Sponsors may pledge a flat amount ($10.00 regardless of how many
minutes read), or may base their pledge on the actual time spent reading ($5.00 per 100
minutes read).
How Do Students Participate in
RFTS?
Your representative helps get the students excited about the program during a school
assembly or classroom presentation. Students
see the wonderful books they will be able to select with half of their pledge dollars,
then…
1)
About two weeks before the reading program begins,
each student takes home a parent letter and a pamphlet containing a reading journal, a
pledge sheet, a book wish list, and an order form. The student and parent will begin
recording pledges by the minute, hour, or flat rate on the pledge sheet.
2)
Once the program begins, each student logs reading
time in their reading journal. Each student
is given a goal of 30 minutes per day for 10 school days, for a total of 300 minutes. This
is very achievable! Students can include the minutes spent reading favorite books and
magazines, being read to by mom or dad, and even reading for homework assignments.
3)
At the end of the two week time period, students
turn in their reading journals, book orders (they may spend 50% of the pledge money they
collect on books for themselves!), and pledge money.
What Does Our Organization
Need to Do?
You will need a volunteer (could be an administrator, teacher, or parent) to be a
primary contact for your representative, collect reading journals and pledges, and provide
your representative with participation information throughout the program. Your
representative will provide master copies of parent information packets including parent
letters, pledge cards, reading journals, catalog information, etc. Your representative will also compile the book
order, organize books when they arrive, and deliver them to your organization ready to
distribute to individual students and teachers.
What Do We Get From RFTS?
Students, even pre- or emergent readers, experience the satisfaction of reading or
being read to and develop a reading routine. They
get excited about book ownership! Each child
will receive a certificate of participation and a bookmark when they turn in their
journals. Your organization earns money AND free books!
Why Is The RFTS Program So Important?
Consider the following:
·
“If every child were read to daily from infancy, it would revolutionize
education in this country.” (Former US Education Secretary Richard W. Riley)
·
Some experts believe that the biggest obstacle to literacy is the scarcity
of books and appropriate reading material in the home.
·
“The 1998 Reading Report Card found that students with higher reading
scores were more likely to report four types of reading materials in their homes –
encyclopedias, magazine, newspapers, and at least 25 books.” (The NAEP)
·
There's no better way to increase vocabulary, improve spelling and writing,
and cultivate public speaking skills than by reading aloud to a child! (Jim Trelease, The
Read-Aloud Handbook)
