BENNINGTON, Neb. (KMTV) — Students at Heritage Elementary School get rewarded for good behavior with a token they can use for the book vending machine.
- At Bennington elementary schools, book vending machines are being used to encourage reading.
- Video shows students reading and using the book vending machine
- "Reading is a lifelong skill and it's going to help [students] be successful in every aspect of their life."
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Getting a new book just got a lot cooler. At Heritage Elementary, when students get rewarded with a token certificate, they then trade it in for a token and then that's where the magic happens.
I asked kids the question, why do you think reading is important?
"Because you get more knowledge,” said 2nd grader Quintin Bottrell.
“I love to read and it's really fun and it helps me learn new things,” said 5th grader Olivia Carlson.
"I probably read a lot. So much that I can't even say how much,” said 5th grader Payton Combes.
These three students are some of the first who get to use to book vending machine.
Why? because they were caught reading when they could have been doing other things.
And while the machine has only been here for a month it's helped spread excitement to encourage the activity.
"When it was the first day that we used the book vending machine students were cheering and they were excited as the books were dropping and it just - when they go back to the classroom then it also excites the other students in the classroom as well,” said Heritage principal Katie Lethco.
Every two weeks, teachers choose one student from each class who they see doing something good and reward them with a token that they can use to buy a book.
"There's just something about that process that makes it unique and special as opposed to me just handing them a book,” said Amy Ackerman, Heritage library media specialist.
And it's not only for the kids who like reading.
"In my home, we have a reader and one that we struggle with - not because he doesn't know how to read, but because that's just not his go to so these types of things are amazing for families like mine, that maybe struggle to incentivize some of their kids,” said Mandy Evert, president of the Heritage PTO.
An important skill the Bennington community says they're hoping to instill in their kids.
"I mean, reading is a lifelong skill and it's going to help them be successful in every aspect of their life and so we really want to foster the love of reading in our students,” said Letco.
It's not just at Heritage that has a book vending machine either. In fact, all Bennington elementary schools have them. And fun fact, they're all decorated to match that school's theme.
