Reward Coupons for Big Kids - Adapted for Younger Kids

Although I currently work with younger kids, I can't give up all of the fun, free incentives Reward Coupons for Big Kids offer. With a couple of tweaks I've been able to make many of the Reward Coupons for Big Kids work with my current younger group. 
One coupon is in really big demand right now. It is Read to a Kindie. Students select a book and at a mutually agreed upon time with the kindergarten teacher, my students go and read to them. Can a teacher get any happier than watching a young student clamor  to read to someone? Frankly, I smile just a little bit wider when my student is a struggling reader! "Retro fitting" this free reward for younger kids isn't hard. Here are some tips.
1. We have a mini economy going in my room and I open my 'store' every two weeks. I post the Read to a Kindie coupon on the whiteboard, write a price next to it, interested kids sign up and then pay.
2. I can say to a fifth grader, "Go to the library choose a book you think a kindergartener will like and will take you n less than 8 minutes." That doesn't work with the younger crowd. I help out by selecting several books for them to choose from, keeping in mind my students' reading level.
3. I make the kids practice in class. A lot. Younger kids need coaching on voice volume, how to hold the book and fluency. We talk about what to expect when reading with kindies and how to handle it when they aren't perfect angels. An older child can roll with it when a kindie calls out or gets up to get a drink in the middle of a book. A younger kid does best when actively told what to expect.
4. Most Big Kids can take on reading to a whole class right away, but for younger kids audience size matters. At the beginning of the year I make sure my students are reading one on one with a kindie. If they make a mistake, a kindie won't notice and my students feel safe. By the end of the year they can handle small groups.
5. I require my students to share their experience with the class when they return. Without exception, they are enthusiastic and tell some funny stories about what a kindie did or said. This in turn inspires others to choose this Reward Coupon in the future.

Why does this Reward Coupon works so well with a younger crowd?  There is built in success. A kindie is excited for an older student to come read to them. My younger students are instant celebrities in the hallway! They are confident going in. They know the book. They've been prepped on what kindie might do. Rather than be thrown off by a kids behavior or comment they enjoy the process a lot.

Many of the other Reward Coupons for Big Kids are easily adaptable for younger kids too! Give them a try!