Reading Ideas That Worked Tip 6 to 10
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Score Big for Reading
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"Children need to be motivated to read when they are young, so that they become independent readers as they grow. This project can be school wide or done in the classroom. Make some paper sneakers. Parents or older students can help you make these. As a child reads a book, they will fill out a form that indicates title, author and 2 or 3 sentences describing the book or their favorite part of the book and why they would recommend this book to another student. When this is completed and checked by the teacher, the student�s name and the book title will be put on a sneaker and posted in the hallway or classroom. When there are 10 sneakers in a row, a basketball appears next with 20 points on it. Each sneaker is worth 2 points and the score is now 20. This is done all around the school or your room. Watch the score grow. Call this Score Big For Reading! This can be done in a variety of ways. Be creative and encourage your children to read."
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Creative Book Jackets
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"It is difficult to get students to complete book reports, yet as teachers we want to encourage reading. As a diversion from the usual reports that are made, have your students design a book jacket or cover of the book that they perceive as describing the book. They can give the book another title also. They can be as creative as they want to but they will also be accountable to defend what they have created. What does the book jacket or book cover tell about the book? What reason does a student have for changing the title? In defending their creative addition to this book, you will find out if the student did read the book. This can be presented in front of the class and the students can ask the student about their additions or changes to the book. The student who read the book will have to defend the changes. This can be fun and very creative!!"
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Model Reading
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"You, as the teacher, should model how to read for your students. Every day your students should hear fluency in reading, correct pronunciation of words, expressive reading, exposure to correct grammar and meaningful sentences. This is done by listening to a good reader - YOU! Listening comprehension is an essential to learning how to read. You are the role model. If you think it is important to read, your students will also think it is important. Set aside 15 or 20 minutes a day just for listening. After reading a story, go back and reread it and ask questions about the book. Use Bloom�s Taxonomy to bring your students to higher levels of thinking. Prepare questions ahead of time. Be prepared. Have great expectations for your students and they will rise to meet these expectations."
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Reading Buddies
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"For younger children who are just learning to read or readers who are experiencing difficulty, ask a class of older students to buddy with your class. Work with the teacher to pair students who will work together in a productive manner. You both know your students and their needs. It is important that students be comfortable with each other. Before getting to the reading, let each older student interview their �buddy� to get acquainted. The older students could work on preparing a questionnaire in class. Then sit with their buddy and ask some questions about favorite things to do, hobbies, reading interests, etc. Share time together, have a snack and the process has begun. Teachers could find a common time for students to read together once a week. This helps younger students to feel comfortable with the older students, will increase reading interest, and help younger students grow in self-esteem. Older students can learn responsibility as they work with their buddies. As the older students get to know their buddies, they can choose books that are of interest to their new friends. There will be much benefit gained for the older and younger students."
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"Olympic Word Race"
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"Divide your class into 4 teams. Each team should line up in a row. Make four sections on the chalkboard by drawing 3 vertical lines from the top to the bottom. One person from each team will compete to properly spell words that you call out. The person that finishes first and spells the word correctly will get a point for his or her team. The first person from each team will go to the board and then, you call out a word having to do with the Olympics. They then go to the end of the line and you continue with the next set of people."
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Reading Friends
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"In my classroom I have a wide array of stuffed animals that I've collected throughout the years. When it is time to read silently and independently, students select a stuffed animal friend and curl up with it as they practice reading. Students seem satisfied and enjoy this task."
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Reading Garden K-8
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"Have students write reading summaries on a round or cone coffee filter. Include Story/Book title and author. On a poster board, have the students glue just the centers of the round coffee filters, arranged as they wish. These are the flowers. Students can then use assorted art supplies to make stems, leaves, backgrounds, etc. Display each as a composite garden or as individual gardens that adorn you class room. Thus your Reading Garden."
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"Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"
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"I had an After School class that was crazy about Harry Potter. I first wrote a letter to the students as "Professor McGonagall" telling them all that they were accepted at Hogwarts and that they would be divided into the four houses from the books, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Huffelpuff, and Ravenclaw and that each house would accumulate points (or lose them) based on their performance in my classroom. Good behaviors earned points for the house, bad behaviors lost points. Certain games and activities in my room were also worth bonus points. It helped my student learn to work as a team and it really curtailed bad behavior. At the end of the year, I threw an "end of the year feast" with pizza and sweets, with the winning house receiving certificates stating that they had won the "House Cup" as denoted in the books,and that team also won a small prize. It worked well as a classroom theme for me. We played a modified version of Quidditch in gym, and the students were encouraged to write to their favorite Hogwart's Professors via an envelope that I had labeled "Outgoing Mail to Hogwart's". I would then write back to the students in the character of their chosen professor. It was a blast for the kids, as well as for me."
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"Reading Across New York"
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"I created a great interdisciplinary incentive system that reinforces reading for my students. One of the main topics of my Social Studies curriculum is New York State geography and landmarks. I have a detailed map of New York State in my room with a colored thumbtack for every student.
Every week, the thumbtacks take a trip to location or landmark within New York State. A student's thumbtack is advanced a set distance for every page they read during reading time. This has really motivated students. Along the way to the final destination, the students will have several stops. These include major towns/cities or landmarks. When a student reaches this location, they receive a simple reward. The rewards range from extra free time to a snack. When they reach their final destination we provide them with larger rewards.
Students really seem to enjoy this system and they're learning a lot more about their State. This system is simple and can be adapted to any state, province, and/or country."
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"Word Game"
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"Select a word. Ask for words that can be made from the selected word, using the letters only as often as they are in the word, no capital letters, and at least three letters to the word. The spelling and meaning of each word shown should also be a requirement. Example: sacrifices---rice-a food, face-front of head, ice-frozen water, etc."
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"Thanking My ABCs"
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"I usually have the students sit on the floor in either a circle or a horseshoe. I then have children say "Thanks for".. something that begins with an "A" and continue around the circle, until they get to "Z". If in a horseshoe, when it reaches an end, they must repeat what the last person said and then say their own. I found that the children love this and it is a spin on Geographic ABCs."
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"Tactile Sight Words"
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"My team found a great activity to help students learn sight words:
- We write the words on sets of large flash cards. Always make sure to laminate the cards, this way you do not have reinvent the wheel every year.
- Give students hand clay. Ask the students to roll the clay so that it looks like a long pencil. The thinner the clay is rolled, the easier it is for them.
- Have the students trace the words on laminated cards with the clay.