Appropriate grades or age groups:
Elementary School

Estimated time to complete activity or implement technique:
3 months

Materials needed (if applicable):
adult and childrens books and a piece of paper to record progress.

Activity set-up/instructions or description of technique:
I am a constant reader and to get my 7 yr.old son interested, we decided to have a contest. Everytime one of us finishes a book, the name of the book and the date it was finished are recorded on a paper posted on the refrigerator. This way the rest of the family can see the progress and give encouragement. The prize does not have to be elaborate, a trip to the movies and dinner at the pizza parlor is his prize if he wins.

Other suggestions or comments:
Hopefully my daughter who is three, will catch some of the enthusiasm and will be eager to learn to read. She does benefit from having her brother and I read to her.