How do you get students excited about books? You make reading fun!
Learning should be fun and I shared the reasons why I believe that learning should be fun in my post Why Should Learning Be Fun in a K-2 Classroom?
I truly believe that when you show kids how much fun reading can be, you will get them excited about books.
There are so many ways to get students excited about learning. I am really passionate about this topic and could talk about it all day!
Today, I am just sharing 4 super easy ways to make reading fun and get your students excited about books.
Mystery Book
I am not talking about the mystery genre. I am literally talking about having a mystery book.
Put a book in a box.
On Monday, show students the box and tell them you will read the book to them on Friday.
Then, each day, give students a clue. Let them ask questions and try to guess the title.
Letting them ask questions and attempting to guess is really a win-win. It will get them excited about the book but it also is a great way to review story elements. For example, students can ask if the main character is an animal or person or if the book is fiction or nonfiction. Encourage them to use proper terminology.
Finally, on Friday, share the book with great fanfare!
When you choose your mystery book, you could choose a book that relates to a particular theme or topic you are teaching. You could also just pick a book for fun.
Guest Reader
Invite someone special to come read to your class.
The guest reader could even be someone in your school – like the principal. Ask your guest reader to bring his or her favorite book.
You could even extend the reading into Lunch and a Story. Students could eat their lunches in the room that day. They could enjoy their meal while hearing a great book.
It would be great if you had a copy of the guest reader’s book so that students would have the opportunity to look at it again for fun.
Change Locations
Add some fun to your read-aloud or reading groups by changing locations.
If it is a beautiful day, go outside. Fresh air and a good book are a great combination.
Don’t want to go outside? Take your students to another location in the school.
For example, you could go to the cafeteria (during non-meal times) and read a food-related book, like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Changing your location can add a little excitement to reading a book.
Reading Reward
A reading reward does not mean giving your students a reward for reading. I am actually not keen on this – but that is a post for another day.
This reading reward means making reading the reward for another goal! For example, let a fun reading event be the reward for great classroom behavior.
Have your students work towards a special reading event. Build excitement for the reading event.
Here are some suggestions for fun reading events:
- Book pajama party
- Book campout in the classroom (a tent and books!)
- Character event (ex. fly a kite like Curious George).
- Special snack based on a book
- Book Buddy (Let students bring a stuffed animal to school that they can read to during the day.)
There are countless possibilities. The point is that you are making reading very positive for your students. These fun events can all involve fun books and lots of reading time.
Conclusion
Getting students excited about books and reading doesn’t have to be complicated. These 4 simple tips show you just how easy it can be to make reading fun.
If you want more tips on how to encourage your students to read and make learning fun overall, find me on Pinterest. I love to share tips, book ideas, and resources on Pinterest.