Once each month, the students at Decatur Intermediate Learning Center eagerly await the drawing for the “Lunch Limos for Literacy” lunch. Each student hopes that he or she will be one of the lucky sixteen students who are rewarded for their reading efforts by being taken to lunch in a limo. Nicole Blakley, a 5th grade student, put it this way, “I am so happy to be in the drawing for the activity with Mrs. Elliott. That means a lot to me. I hope that I get chosen, but if I don’t get picked, I still have another chance. It was my honor to read three books and get to be in the drawing.”

      In October 2005, I launched a new reading incentive program designed to encourage our fifth and sixth grade students to read more quality children’s literature. The Young Hoosier books represent just the right mix of interest and challenge, so they are being used as the basis of the program. Each month a different goal is set for how many Young Hoosier books need to be read to qualify for the drawing. In addition to reading the specified number of books, a student must pass the Reading Counts quiz on that book. Once the student reads and passes the quizzes on the selected books, his or her name is entered into a drawing for the lunch. Sami Brawner, a 6th grade student, said this when her name was entered into the drawing: “I think that the lunch limo program is awesome, because last year we had to wait for the special lunch at the end of the year. The limo lunch will make kids want to read.”

     Our school is comprised of two separate academies, so eight names are drawn from each academy. The reward for the winners is a limousine ride, donated by Indianapolis Coach, to a sponsoring local restaurant.  Each restaurant that I approached has been very supportive and has graciously agreed to provide sixteen free lunches. Some of the participating restaurants are Culver’s, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Subway, Arby’s, and Noble Roman’s.

      The winning students have been recognized in our morning announcements, school newsletter, and a display in the media center. One student summed up the program very nicely when she said, “I think the limo will be great, but reading a great story was the real prize.” Lara Hoaglan, a 5th grade student, was right on the money!