When March rolls around, it means one thing...time to celebrate all things reading!
Whether you celebrate Reading Day, Read Across America Day, or Reading month at your school, I have some simple and fun ways to make celebrating reading with your upper elementary students a week to remember!
By March, my students definitely have come to learn how much I love reading aloud, sharing my favorite books, and how much value I place on reading and reading instruction. Even though reading is always an important part of our day, I love to set aside classroom time for special books, projects, and activities during our Reading Week.
Here are 7 easy-to-implement ideas that will make a BIG impact on your students as they reflect on themselves as readers during your reading celebrations.
1. Celebrate your students' favorite books with a poster!
I love sharing my favorite books, heck I share a favorite picture book each week, but when do your students get to celebrate their favorite books? Grab this FREE download and have your students reflect on their favorite book that they just loved! It can be a book they just finished reading or one they read last year that they still think about. Use this free book share page to allow students to get creative about their all-time favorite book. These also make a great bulletin board display for the hallway so that your students can inspire other readers in your school!
And don't forget to share about your favorite book, too! It can be from your own childhood, something you are currently reading, a book handed down from a family member, a cookbook, or a chapter book you love to read each year with your students. This allows your students to get a peek into your own reading life, too and they just love it!
2. Share your favorite read-aloud book about...READING!
What is more fun than reading a book about reading!? Especially during reading week! Read about my favorite picture books that celebrate reading and readers. These picture books are great kick-offs to discussions about the kinds of books your students like, where they like to read, and how important picking the perfect book really is!
Read the blog post: 7 Must Read Picture Books to Celebrate Reading and Readers
3. Have a reading challenge this month!
I love individual reading challenges! They are so motivating for the students! Use this FREE reading challenge to hold your students responsible for reading a certain amount of books or pages this month to celebrate reading! Your students will LOVE keeping track of what they read and coloring in the books on the shelf. These are perfect for school or as an at-home connection activity. Since it is easy to manage it is a win-win for both students and teachers!
4. Create Student Reader Cards
My students always wow me with their work when completing this reader card project! Students create a self-portrait, complete their reading stats, work on reading goals, and then recommend a book! I love how these turn out when displayed on our bulletin board and it always ends up being my kids' favorite project of the year!
5. Watch a book and dive deep into the plot!
I love reading a good picture book to students, but sometimes changing things up a bit to hold students' attention spans is a must! That is why when I need a change, but still want to share a meaningful book, I head on over to Storyline Online and we watch a book! I love posing a question before pressing play to give students a focus as they watch and listen. During the video, they jot down ideas that they have that correlate with the question so that they are prepared for the discussion we have after the video. Because there are so many books to pick from on this free site, you can pick the book and question that meets the needs of your own students and relates to what you are learning as readers.
6. Get weekly book talks going!
I love going beyond just sharing students' favorite books with book talks! These persuasive speech activities are just what your students need to practice their reading, persuasive writing, and speaking skills.
There are so many benefits of holding weekly book talks in your classroom and they are perfect for all year long, not just during Book Week celebrations!
By bringing book talks into your classroom you are encouraging your students to:
- Read a variety of books, genres, and authors
- Recommend books to their peers
- Engage in meaningful discourse about books
- Practice persuasive writing skills
- Strengthen speaking and listening skills
- Participate in group discussions regularly and appropriately
- Prepare, practice, and deliver a presentation
Read the blog post about book talks here: Get Started with Book Talks
7. Share words of wisdom to inspire readers!
Nothing is more powerful than words of wisdom for young readers that they can take with them that will motivate them even when you are not around! I love displaying reading quotes all year long in our reading corner to motivate and inspire my budding readers.
To give students an extra dose of motivation, I print these reading posters four to a page to create instant note cards. I use these cards to celebrate students during reading and motivate those who may need a little push. These cards are perfect to share out during Reading Day or Week.
When it comes to celebrating reading this month or anytime, make it BIG! The bigger the better! Better memories you make with your students about reading and the bigger impact you have on how important reading each day really is! Remember, grab YOUR favorite book, celebrate your students' favorite books, and create an inspirational display to celebrate reading and motivate your students!
Happy Reading Week!
You will also love reading:
Check out my favorite reading activities HERE.
and be sure to display these
Motivational Reading Posters:
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