by Rachel Wells
March is National Reading Month, and readers of all ages can join in the celebration!
Reading regularly is one of the best habits a person can develop because it has significant benefits that pay off both now and in the future. Consistent time with books strengthens mental muscles, boosts memory, helps to improve creativity and attention span, increases social emotional development, and expands vocabulary.
Check out some fun ways to get your students celebrating all things books this month.
Read In Different Ways
Make reading extra fun by encouraging kids to read in a variety of ways and settings. Try turning off the lights and having students read using flashlights. Or have a beach day where you bring in plastic pools, fill them with pillows or beach towels, and let students read with their sunglasses on.
Start a Book Club
Let students choose one of two book options to read at home and choose a book club meeting date that students will need to read the book by. When it’s time for the book club have students sit in a circle to discuss the story and do a small craft or science experiment that goes along with it.
Print some of the following open-ended questions for each group to help guide their discussion:
- What did you think of this month’s book?
- Would you have picked this book yourself if you saw it at the library?
- Who was your favorite character and why?
- What was your favorite moment in the book?
- How is the main character similar to you?
- How would you have changed the plot if you could re-write the story?
- Which character would you most want to have lunch with and why?
- How would you have handled the problem the main character encounters?
- If you could give the main character advice, what would it be?
Go On a Book Hunt
Have students look for a list of words in a book of their choice. Some ideas of words to look for could include; something from nature, an exciting verb, a proper noun, something heavier than a gallon of milk, etc.
Track How Many Books You Read
Give students a graph where they can color squares to track how many books they read throughout the month. Additionally, you can have a prize or trophy at the end of the month for the winner who read the most.
Do a Book Report
But not a boring one! There are so many creative ways to showcase a story. Encourage students to try one of these fun ideas:
- Make a book jacket. Students create a new cover for their story which includes an illustration, summary, biography of the author, and anything else they find important to tell others.
- Pizza box report. Upcycle a pizza box and turn it into a book pizza. On the top lid add a picture of the book cover, and on the inside students will make a construction paper pizza where each slice tells a part of the story.
- Book report in a bag. Students decorate a paper grocery bag with a scene from the book and a short summary. Inside the bag they will place five items that represent something from the book to share with the class.
- Clothes hanger mobile. All you need to do this book report is a clothes hanger, string, and paper. On the body of the hanger students will attach a picture of the book. Dangling from the bottom of the hanger will be strings and small cards filled with key elements from the story including characters, setting, and a summary.
- Make a diorama. Have students write a short summary of their book, and then choose an important setting from the story to create a showbox diorama of.
Have a Dress Up Like Your Favorite Character Day
Plan a day for students to come in dressed like their favorite book character and allow time for them to show or read that character’s book to the class.
Make Fun Bookmarks
There are so many fun ways to make bookmarks using origami, photos of students, or beads… but if you are looking for a no-prep option, try giving each student a strip of cardstock, and set out lots of old magazines. Give children time to cut out and collage some of their favorite images and text pieces together to make a one-of-a-kind design. Add a yarn tassel to the top to finish it off.
Buddy Readers
Give students a chance to read together – whether you let them pick a partner in class to read to, buddy up with another class and have older students read to younger ones, or let students bring in their favorite stuffed animals to cuddle up with and read with.
Make Your Own Books
It’s so much more fun to read and write knowing you are going to be a published author! Grab some of these mini books and have students each make one story to add to a homemade classroom library.
