Blossoms of Blue: How to Get Your Students Excited About Reading

My 18-month-old twins love to read! The other day, Clara pulled all the books off the shelf and surrounded herself with them as she read. It made me happy. I love to read, and love books! I am always on the lookout for a new book to read.

I started thinking about my students and how to increase their enthusiasm for reading. Some kids are already excited about reading, but many kids don't find it enjoyable. Here are some ideas to help get your students excited about reading:

1. Book Groups: What second grader doesn't love hanging out with their teacher? Think about starting a book group with your class. Assign a book each month and have 4-5 copies available for check out. On the last Friday of the month, anyone who has read the book can eat lunch in the classroom while you ask questions and discuss the book together. Your students will LOVE the extra time they get to spend with you.

2. Level your books: If students aren’t reading at their level, they are going to have a really hard time and won’t like reading. At the beginning of the year, I give each student a large Ziploc bag to keep their books in. They can have 3 books at any given time; 2 just right books and one free choice.

3. Variety of books: In your classroom, you should have many different levels, genres, and types of books. Find out what your students are interested in and choose books specifically for them. You can also look at your local library for more variety. Don’t forget nonfiction!

4. Give books as presents/rewards: Use your Scholastic points to get books for the kids’ rewards or presents. This will show them that books are important to you and special.

5. Book Recommends: Keep a binder in your class library with each kids’ name. If anyone wants to write a recommendation, they put it in their spot in the binder so other kids can see what their classmates have enjoyed.

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6. Character Day: Plan a day when each child comes dressed as their favorite book character. They can come prepared to talk about why they like their character and/or give a summary of their book.

Here I am as Fancy Nancy.

7. Read Aloud: My students love it when I choose a good chapter book to read aloud. If you get excited about it, they will too! You could read a book that has been turned into a movie, like Willy Wonka or James and the Giant Peach. Some of my favorite read alouds are The BFG, Clementine, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

8. Set the Scene: What kid doesn’t love to imagine they are somewhere else? Set your classroom up like a scene from a book you are reading. Get the students to help you decorate and set the scene. This will really help the kids get immersed in the book.

9. Read-a-Thon: I did this with my class and they had a ball. I let them wear pajamas, bring a pillow, a snack, and a few of their favorite books. They could sit with a partner and read to each other or read by themselves. We turned the lights down and they found a comfy place in the classroom to sit. I was worried that kids would just want to talk to each other, but they really sat and read! It was great!