G AINING I NTEREST I N R EADING ! By: Aly Robertson

S TARTER T IPS : Create an Interest Inventory Identifies the kinds/topics of books they like to read. Provide Materials Have in class materials readily available for checkout. Teach Students how to select books Teach them to count 100 consecutive words and read the passage- if they can struggle with 3 or more errors- its too hard. Create a reading log that is fun! Mobile, worm, space ships Set up an award system that is fun! You’ll get _____ if you read _______ books.

C LASSROOM A RRANGEMENT World of Books Have a map where kids can mark where there stories take place with a push pin or something Library Corner with variety of materials Students can go here at certain times of the day Text and non texts; fiction and non fiction Reading Tub/Chair for special individuals Rocking chair, overstuffed pillow, bean bag, etc Listening Stations listen to books on tape Monthly Topics Display of books, posters, and pictures about a particular topic each month that the students can choose to learn more about.

T EACHER INPUT Objects: Bring in an object that introduces a book or series of stories Book Lists Create a board of books that students might enjoy reading Sustained Silent Reading Everyone in the classroom reads silently for _____ mins. Read Aloud Read parts of stories aloud to gain interest then stop at an interesting or exciting part of book Conferences Teachers discuss books and writing with each student

I NVOLVEMENT WITH O THERS Book Master Questions: Prepare questions about popular books for students to answer Speakers Ask parents and other community members to come share information about their work or hobbies, etc. Book Discussions Groups reading about similar topics can discuss what they are learning Read to Younger Kids Buddy Reading Read interesting parts of your book to your partner Interview Choose a topic from their book and interview others about it Notes by Students Write notes about a book they are reading/just read where other students can read

I NDIVIDUAL P ROJECTS Demonstrate Allow students to demonstrate or talk about something they learned about while reading. Bags of Books Students have brown bag, decorate them, and fill them with items to represent their book Collage Use words or pictures to construct a collage about your book Book Jackets Create a new book jacket for your book How-to Book Read a few how-to’s and then have the students create their own about anything they want.

G ROUP A SSIGNMENTS Mobiles Place mats Illustrate sequence of events, main idea, characters, setting, etc Bedtime story Cartoon Greeting Cards Create and design a greeting card that characters might have sent to each other Travel Folders After reading a story about a particular location, they can write about weather, animals, hotels, etc.

I N CLASS A SSIGNMENTS Book Marks Advice Column Create a class advice column and students can write questions to each and advice Announcement Write an announcement for an event in their story- birthday, Christmas, etc. Awards Write and design awards for something/someone in their book Bumper Stickers Crossword Use words from one certain book or a combination/variety of books

A CTIVE I NVOLVEMENT Acting Students role play part of the class read story Pantomime/Charades Book Parade Students dress up as a character from their book and tell the class about their book Puppets Games/create a game like Jeopardy Newscast Report a story as though it were happening today Reading shirts Wear shirts with their favorite passage on the back. Students go around reading about books and pick 5 they’d like to read after class Weather Forecast Write own weather forecast for the week

S PECIAL S EGMENTS Popular Music: Study lyrics of songs and their meanings, study musicians, discuss characteristics of musical style Movies Read books that have movies that coincide with book. Discuss similarities and differences Commercials: Present a commercial to “sell their book” & Video tape it Ads Study ads in magazines and newspapers- create own Epitaphs Design a gravestone Tongue Twisters Write your own tongue twister & use alliteration

W RITING Diaries character might have kept Directions getting one place to another or how-to Fables write a story teaching a lesson or moral Fairy Tales “Once upon a time…” + magic + “They lived happily ever after” Letter to author What did you like about book? Any questions about book/author? Mystery Myth Story Extensions What happens after the book ends? Tall Tales Write books