Make Reading Fun!

Can we all agree that students who are motivated and engaged will become better readers?  If we want students to be motivated, we must be too!  If we want students to be engaged in activities linked to reading, we must be too!  I hope that this post renews your love for literacy and puts a little pep in your step!  Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

Make Reading Fun!

Use The Season To Motivate Yourself

Something as simple as a pumpkin can change the way that students engage with reading!  There are so many activities that can be inspired by a simple orange gourd!

• Classroom Decision Making - Vote on what character you will paint on a pumpkin
• Write 'How To Decorate A Pumpkin'
• Descriptive writing on what the inside of a pumpkin looks like
• Science extension - how my pumpkin seed became a plant
• Math extension - counting pumpkin seeds (estimate how many seeds)

Adorable Clifford pumpkin to motivate 1st graders!

Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus Series

Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

There have been many days that I get into my car dressed as a literary character and pray that I do not get pulled over.  I imagine myself explaining how I'm trying to motivate my students to read..... hoping that the police officer is a parent of a school-aged student.  That being said, I love it!  Your students will beam with excitement and be engaged all day long.  Character dress up is not just that...... it can be so much more:

• teaching text-to-text connections
• introducing characterization
• discussing literary elements
• genre talks (realistic fiction)
• Venn diagram about teacher vs. character

Surround Yourself With Positive and Motivated Educators

Being an educator is difficult!  Whether you are a teacher or a Reading Specialist the task before you on a daily basis is not an easy one.  You belong in this profession because you have the heart for it.  Yet, some years, some days are NOT easy!  The work load does not always relate directly to the student(s) (the reasons why we are there) so it becomes a challenge.  My suggestion to you is to surround yourself with positive people!  If you can find a group of educators willing to dress up for the sake of putting a smile on the face of students and create a love for reading, then you have found the right people.  Use those wonderful people as a sounding board and allow them to give you new life!  You are allowed to have bad days..... but can you imagine that lasting long when you are surrounded by a bunch like this? With a positive fun group you can:

• collaborate in planning
• not be the only one dressed up
• have Pinterest parties to create activities
• share great reads
• keep each other sane (smile)

Fun Books For Reading For Fall Ya'll

This is no surprise - we must read to students!  They must hear us reading!  So many teachers are overwhelmed with data and assessments that we forget about the most enjoyable thing that we can do: read to our students!!!  We must make time to sit them down and let them listen to a story.  Sneak a book in as an anticipatory set whenever you can.  Here are some fun choices for this time of year.  We constantly tell our students to use the library (school and public)..... shouldn't we be using it too?

• The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano
• The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll
• Five Little Pumpkins by Iris Van Rynbach
• The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis
• Room On The Broom by Julia Donaldson
• Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
• The Scariest Dream Ever by Maria T. DiVencenzo  
  
• Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro   

Please Share What You Do!

It was easy for me to think of engaging ways to motivate students in October/Fall but we have many more months of school left to go!  I look forward to hearing what you do to motivate and engage your students throughout the year.  Please let me know what you, your co-workers, and/or school does to foster the love of reading in our littlest ones. 

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