This year, librarian Melanie Claybar has introducing Beanstack—an interactive app designed to motivate students to read—to LCM.
“We needed a tool that would make reading feel more interactive and fun for students while also allowing me to track participation in reading challenges,” Claybar said. “Beanstack stood out because it is easy to use, works well on both phones and computers, and aligns with literacy goals we want to promote on campus.
Students may log their minutes each day and the app updates their progress toward the current challenge automatically. If they forget, students can go back and add their minutes from previous days.
“Along the way, they unlock badges and possibly earn rewards like snacks, stickers, or entries into drawings,” Claybar said. “It is catching on slowly but surely, and students like the rewards.”
Beanstack makes goals visible and trackable so students can see their progress, set streaks, and measure how much they are reading over time.
“Beanstack is more about forming habits and building reading stamina for all reading,” Claybar said. “Many students might remember AR points but Beanstack levels the playing field so all students can see their progress and feel successful.
Students may encounter Book Talks with Benny, the Beanstack mascot.
“Benny will engage students with conversations about what they are reading,” Claybar said. “It is an effective way to reflect on your reading, while also keeping students honest about their minutes.”
Beanstack is available in Classlink, so students can sign in with a single click.
“It was super easy to set up my Beanstack account,” sophomore Liberty Trupke said. “If you are on a school computer, you’ll already be signed in. If you download the app on your phone, then you will have to find your school then log in with your school email.”
All reading counts: books from the library, novels read in class, articles for current events, short stories, textbooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, fan fictions, and even religious text.
“Our goal is for every student to read twenty minutes a day, but I think most will be surprised to see they are reading far more than that,” Claybar said. “If you like friendly competition, prizes, or just tracking your progress, Beanstack makes reading more rewarding.”
