Reading Rewards: Free vs. Paid Teacher Account

Last year, I used the free version of Reading Rewards. This year, I had too many students (over 70) to use the free version. My school covered the cost ($70), but after using the paid teacher account this year, I would recommend it even if the school does not cover the cost.

The paid version offers more student accounts and also offers features that make the reading log, not just a log, but also an assessment for student comprehension and writing. The most impactful feature change between the free and paid version has been the teacher comment tool. The reading log is the nightly homework for my students. They also write a response to their reading weekly. I am able to read the responses and provide feedback for the students. This feature is only available in the paid version.

I've learned so much about my students as readers. It's similar to the days when every student had a physical paper journal that I read and corrected each week, but I only have to carry my laptop and not 70 notebooks. I really wish I had this tool when I lived in NYC and was carrying those notebooks home on the subway!

While there are definitely other ways to have digital reader's notebooks and logs, Reading Rewards also introduces a competitive reward aspect to their program. Students move up in levels the more they read. This has been a big drive for my most competitive students, even the ones who are not the most excited readers. Students are able to see each other's levels and book recommendations as well. The program has increased our book talks across the grade level and has definitely inspired some great reading and book discussions.

I do wish that some of the school features were available to individual teachers. I teach my students across four different classes and the classroom competitions would definitely be another level of reading competition for my kids. They would be able to motivate each other as opposed to being the individual "best."

Definitely check it out if you're looking for a digital reading log. Start with the free version to see if it meets your needs and decide if the features of the paid version would benefit your students. It has definitely helped mine!