Tips Archive » Content » Reading

• Reluctant Readers (6 tips)
• Variations on Book Reports (7 tips)
• Bookswaps and Exchanges (2 tips)
• Studying Characters (4 tips)
• Relating Reading to Real Life (3 tips)
• Reading Comprehension (10 tips)
• Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) (3 tips)
• Read Across America Activities (9 tips)
• Readathons/Reading Week (6 tips)
• Guest Readers (2 tips)
• Reading Games (6 tips)
• Integrated Reading Activities (5 tips)
• Reading Exercises (10 tips)

Reluctant Readers

Repeated Readings

From MariLou Anderson, an elementary special education teacher at Grygla Public School in Grygla, Minnesota:

"I have a communication system that works well for children who are experiencing reading difficulties. I present a short book to the student, have the student read it to me, and then send it home in a manila envelope. (I use the recycled envelopes from the office that they save for me.) The student must read the book to an adult at home, have the adult sign the envelope and bring the envelope back to school. The same envelope can be used again and again and it's a good record of what books the student has read. Next, the student reads the book to me again and he/she gets a sticker. Five stickers earns the student time on the computer for learning games. By the time the students read their books to me, they can read them fluently and their self esteem soars!"

Encouraging Oral Reading

From John Shuler, a second grade teacher at Jones Paideia Magnet School in Nashville, Tennessee:

"My students are assigned fifteen to twenty minutes of oral reading each evening as part of their homework. They read to their parents and then list what they've read in a reading log. The kids really get a kick out of the assignment when I tell them to 'read to your dog or cat tonight' or 'record your reading and then play it back'. They not only read more but have fun while doing it."

Shirt Story

From a learning support specialist in Pennsylvania:

"A little reluctant 2nd grade reader that I work with was exceptionally proud of a t-shirt his Mom had brought back for him from a trip. He happily told me all about it with puffed chest so I could see it clearly. He was so enthused that it prompted me to extend his interest by photocopying the shirt and then writing a short story with his ideas. It was simple to lay the shirt on the Xerox machine, adjust the darkness and copy his raccoon shirt. He read his story to his class and handed out copies of his shirt for them to color."

Encouraging Students To Read Aloud

From Terence Drew, a sixth grade bilingual teacher at Stetson Middle School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

"One way to encourage students to read out loud is to send student teams of two, three or four into a corner of the room with a video camera and a reading assignment. At the end of the day, I play three or four minutes of the tape in front of the class. No one knows which minutes will be played. After cycling through the whole class a few times, even some of my less able out loud readers will now volunteer to be taped reading. Choral reading in front of the camera is also something that works for less able readers."

A Purpose to Read

From Tina Schneider, a title reading teacher at Southeast Warren Intermediate School in Lacona, Iowa:

"Through a service learning grant I was able to purchase hard cover story books for my students to read aloud during story time at the local library. Three students read on a Saturday morning once a month. The books are then donated to the library with a special book jacket recognizing the student who selected it. This program has been very motivating and rewarding for my reluctant readers."

Reading Assignment Accountability

From Linda Means Golomb, a third and fourth grade teacher at Cedar Creek School in Canyon County, California:

"In elementary school when students are learning to read, the more practice they can get, the better. I give a nightly reading assignment and provide a parent sign-off sheet in their homework folder in order to document completion of the assignment. Many students - too often the ones who need the extra reading practice the most - simply did not bother to do their nightly reading.

Then I came up with the 'Reading Roundup Chart.' Using the last few inches cut from a white incentive chart I simply color in a square for each reading group which has 100% nightly reading signed each day. Each group has its own color and they watch the progress of their group with much anticipation. The best part is, I don't have to say a word; peer pressure takes over. No one wants to be the person in their reading group that keeps them from 'getting a square.' The first group to fill in its row across the chart (it usually takes a few months) gets to have a pizza lunch with the teacher, or whatever incentive you want to use. Since establishing this 'competition' I have extended it to include not only signed reading but also having their materials for reading (e.g., their book and homework folder). It works like a charm."

Variations on Book Reports

Students Sell Books

From Janet Kominek, a fifth grade teacher at Powell Elementary in North Baltimore, Ohio:

"I require a book report once a month from every student. I like to vary the report format so this month my students will try to sell their book. The students will have two minutes or less to try to persuade others to read it. After everyone has had their two minutes, each student will have a play dollar to buy/vote for the book that they would most like to read. The winner can choose a book from the book order which I will pay for with our class bonus points."

Hanging Book List

From Janet Keohane, a fifth grade teacher:

"Each morning, the students in my class announce the books they finished reading the night before and give brief summaries. They often recommend a book to a friend saying, 'You would enjoy this book because?' I made each child a hanging book list with a sheet of paper hanging from a wooden dowel. As they complete a book, they add it to their list. We staple more paper to the lists as they fill them up. Students can hardly wait to share they have finished another novel. Our class has read about a book a week per child. When the class total reaches one hundred books read, we celebrate with a popcorn party."

Learning From Wisdom Books

From Mark Graler, a fifth grade science and language arts teacher at Columbia Elementary in Kings Mills, Ohio:

"After our class reads about five wisdom books, I divide the class into five groups. I assign one of the books that we've read to each group and they review it with the question, 'What did the author want me to learn from this book?' in mind. The students write down their thoughts. Then, I type their ideas and hang them around the room. The 'wisdom' is written in kid language and everyone has contributed. I find that more students participate in this small group activity than will volunteer to share their thoughts during a large group discussion."

30 Second Book Reports

From Joni Reed, a teacher in the adolescent day treatment program in Jefferson County, Colorado:

"I take the class to the library. All students choose an interesting book, newspaper or magazine on their reading level. We return to the classroom and I set a timer for 10, 20 or 30 minutes, depending on the age and attention span of the class. Everyone (including me) reads quietly until it goes off. I reinforce quiet readers with tangibles or praise but reset the timer if talking/playing persists. Peer pressure will put a stop to disruptive behavior in a hurry since it affects the entire class. When the timer goes off, everyone has thirty seconds to give an oral report on what they read. In order to model what is expected, I go first. We tell the title and author first and then briefly summarize the selection and complete our report with a one-sentence opinion statement."

Point of View Reports

From Margie Morley, an eighth grade reading teacher at Bear Lakes Middle School in West Palm Beach, Florida:

"Many times my students want to do a book report on a book they really enjoyed in 6th grade. I discourage that practice because introducing students to new authors is my priority. However, when I am able to make an exception, I require the student to write a point of view evaluation of the book. The paper has to review the book from the eyes of a sixth grader and then compare and contrast that to the eyes of an eighth grader. Two benchmarks are covered: making the reading/writing connection and demonstrating mastery of comparison/contrast papers. An added bonus is that students learn that re-reading a novel brings new insight. They apply that skill to study skill applications."

Advertising Books with Posters

From Sandi Flowers, an eighth grade reading teacher at Springdale High School in Springdale, Pennsylvania:

"My students will be designing posters 'advertising' their favorite books and why other people should read them. They will be posted in our hall. I have polled our faculty and will be posting a list of everyone's comments about reading and the names of books that have changed their lives. We will also have a list of celebrities' favorite books. I want to send my students the message that successful people are readers."

Making Book Covers

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"We do 'Beautiful Book Covers.' I usually have the students choose a classic book from the school library to read. Often they are aged books that have bare or no covers to them. The students are to change these ugly books into beautiful books by designing book covers for them. They have to make an appropriate cover with title and author displayed. On the inside front flap they summarize the book and do research to learn about the author. This information goes on the inside back flap. The back is used for them to give their personal opinion and rate the book. This is where they give themselves credit for the work done. I have these laminated and the librarian codes the covers. These then become part of our library collection. You have to change the type of book being read from year to year, but students are always pulling them off the shelves to see how much the book was enjoyed by others."

Bookswaps and Exchanges

From Rosann Fox, a library media specialist at Centennial Junior High School in Casper, Wyoming:

"I have a sure fire way to circulate books. Our library media center "purchases" students' used paperbacks for the cover price with fake funny money. After a week of buying, the books are organized by genre and displayed for sale to those who possess the fake funny money. Hint: when advertising this event, make sure that you state you will 'buy' appropriate [age level] books only, or you will get little brothers' or sisters' discards. The kids love it, moms love the cleaner room, and kids get new books to read."

Book Swap with 2-for-1 Coupons

From Sonja Yefsky, a reading specialist at Central Middle School in Parsippany, New Jersey:

"Each year our school holds Drop Everything And Read (Dear) Week. It has become an annual tradition eagerly awaited by students and staff alike. We hold a book swap for students and staff. So that everyone will be prepared for DEAR week, and have a book they enjoy for the evening of March 2 [see Read Across America Activities], students and staff will bring in books that are gently used and age appropriate to be swapped during one period of our school day. We have a contest for which grade level can bring in the most books and offer 2 for l coupons. On day of the swap participants can select as many books as they have coupons. The additional books are donated to an appropriate needy facility."

Studying Characters

Breaking Up Story Dialogue

From Amy Cody, a seventh grade language arts teacher at Walton-Verona High School in Walton, Kentucky:

"A great way to help kids break up a story into its proper format when dialogue is concerned is to use different colored highlighters. Have students highlight one speaker in one color and another speaker in another color, etc. When they finish, they should be able to drop down and indent for each new speaker. The colors will guide them!"

Teaching Quotation Marks

From Carla Herbert, a fourth grade teacher at Howard Wilson School in Leavenworth, Kansas:

"In my class, we read novels out loud. I am usually the narrator during the first semester and the students read what is inside the quotation marks. I talk about how quotation marks tell what the character said. It's a great way to teach how each character has a new paragraph, especially in some books where it does not tell who is speaking. By the second semester, my students are writing stories with conversations."

Friends Around the World

From Kathie Anderson, a first grade teacher at Lowell School in Sioux City, Iowa:

"I do a 'Friends Around the World' theme using the Madeline book series. We begin by giving interesting facts about the author, Ludwig Bemelmans whose wife's name was Madeline, and then we read the first Madeline book. We make a Madeline out of paper and do a character description for her. We make a paper suitcase and talk about what we will need to take with us if we go to France where Madeline lives. We make a passport with our school picture in them, make a ticket, and make clothes, sunglasses and whatever else we would like to put in our suitcase. After learning several facts about France and learning about several landmarks in Paris, we pretend that we are going on a plane trip to France and I show the slides of my own trip there. We also read the Anatole books and sample French cheese. We make a journal of our trip to Paris and put pictures in it that the children draw. At the end of our unit, we have a French breakfast for parents. I make homemade French bread that is a great hit with all! 'April in Paris' is an excellent way to end the year."

Character Plotting

From Phyllis Hartwig, a publications and English teacher at North Kansas City High School in North Kansas City, Missouri:

"When my students study novels with complex character relationships, I have them work in small groups to 'map' the relationships once all the main characters have been introduced. They list each character on a separate scrap of paper and arrange those names on a cleared table in some form that shows connections. Then I give each group a large piece of paper and some rubber cement. They attach the characters in the decided-upon places and draw lines and labels to explain the relationships. The extent of artistic embellishment is up to them, but allowing a little extra time for this is a good way to have them focus on symbolic representations of the novel as well. Seemingly without effort the students carry on good discussions about the relationships, and the pooling of several minds points out perspectives that a single student might not pick up. Each group presents the finished product to the class. I hang the posters for future reference and discussion about changing alliances by the end of the book."

Relating Reading to Real Life

Life-Long Reading

From D. Don Schulte, a social studies teacher at Pattonsville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri:

"To help encourage life-long reading, I post a copy of the local newspaper on the hallway wall outside my room. Students stop by during the day to check out the comics, sports page and news headlines. The students in the Missouri Stock Market Game Competition often check the business section. My goal is to get the kids hooked on reading the newspaper on a daily basis."

Newspaper Test

From D. Bruce Denney, a social studies teacher at Seymour High School in Seymour, Missouri:

"Several times a year I buy enough newspapers for my entire class. I draft a test that requires them to use the table of contents on the front of the paper to find the answers quickly. I include questions for everyone; where movies are showing, used cars, hay for sale, exchange rates, the weather, etc. This exercise demonstrates the usefulness of the paper and acquaints them with how to use it."

Car Survival Kits

From Janet Dziak, a sixth and seventh grade special needs teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"In fall, my students read the book, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. In this story, the main character, Brian, finds a survival pack. The students list the items and discuss how these items helped Brian to survive. Next, we talk about the approaching winter season and how much harder it would be for Brian to survive if the story took place in winter. From this, I have the students think about what they could do if they were stranded in their cars during the winter. We brainstorm a list of items that they could keep in their car in case of an emergency. The students bring the list home to share with their families and make survival kits for their car. This activity helps to relate the events in the story to the students' own lives."

Reading Comprehension

Novel Bookmarks

From Dolly Charpentier, a seventh and eighth grade L.D. teacher at Samoset Middle School in Leominster, Massachusetts:

My students have difficulty with comprehension and sequential events when reading novels. They use an index card marked with the chapter they're reading as their bookmark. On the card, they jot down one or two sentences about the chapter, any difficult words and the characters they met. This only takes a few minutes because it is done when the chapter is fresh in their minds. We continue this throughout the book and keep our bookmarks together with elastic. At the end of the book, we read the cards as a review. This is a great way to keep track of sequential happenings and write up a book summary. (I borrowed this idea from my daughter who thought of this when she was in the sixth grade.)

Reading Packets

From Sherry Michalak, a fifth grade language arts and science teacher at Columbia Elementary in Kings Mills, Ohio:

"I have my students make a packet with four sections called predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing to use as we read novels. One day I might have them make a prediction and the next day, I might have them clarify a word by sounding it out using phonics or decoding the meaning by using context clues. In the questioning section of the packet, they write down questions about the novel to ask the class. Lastly, in the summarizing section, we practice writing the main points of the story rather than writing every detail. This seems to help my students understand and recall what they've read. They really enjoy pretending to be the teacher as they ask their classmates questions about the story."

Reading Partners

From Paul Reagan, a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Tulare, California:

"When I teach older students, I pair them as strong and weak readers. Then I teach them three types of paired reading. The first type is called 911 in which help is given to the partner only when asked. The second type is called Lost and Found. In this type of paired reading, the good reader leaves out key words and the poor reader must fill in the word. The third type of paired reading is called CopyCat. The good reader reads a phrase or sentence one at a time and the poor reader must copy and track with his/her finger."

Title Predictions

From Donna Florek, a third grade teacher at Knollwood Elementary School in Piscataway, New Jersey:

"To help students with comprehension, I have them make predictions about what events might take place in the story based on the title of the chapter. I positively reinforce all predictions given. Once the predictions are made, I give a brief idea of what the chapter is about and ask the children to think about what questions they want answered when they read the chapter. We record these questions on chart paper. This helps to set up a purpose for reading and I've found that students are so in tune to the story that they are better able to answer with more detail and enthusiasm."

Testing for Comprehension

From Pam Shetler, a fifth grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in San Bernardino, California:

"I find that students' reading comprehension on written tests is poor because they only rely on their memory. To force students to look back at the text for answers to comprehension questions, I require them to write the number of the question next to the answer in the text. By doing this, students can look back and see their incorrect reasoning, but more importantly, they take the time to look back and have a greater chance of understanding the text."

Three Ways to Improve Comprehension

From Steve.

"I talk about reading as an internal picture making activity. I often talk to my students about making movies in my head when I read. Secondly, I model reading for pleasure and talk to my class about what I've read. Lastly, my students read to the wall. They stand before a wall and listen to themselves, listening to the story they're hearing, seeing how it sounds and how it looks internally. This improves flow and intonation too."

Summarize, Question, Clarify and Predict

From Adrien Helm, helm@ij.net, a middle school reading teacher:

"Good readers summarize, question, clarify and predict. They summarize what they've read by locking it into their short-term memory and constantly monitor their comprehension by unconsciously questioning the meaning of the text as they read. They then stop to clarify meaning and words by going back and re-reading until it makes sense or they make a mental note to look something up. Finally, good readers make predictions about what will happen next. Good teachers help their students to become good readers."

Secret Story Words

From Janice Roehr, a fifth grade teacher at J.H. Gaudet Middle School in Middletown, Rhode Island:

"I put names of people, places, things and vocabulary words from the story we've read on small pieces of paper and tape them to my students' backs. They wander around the room asking their classmates questions that can only be answered by yes or no. When they've figured out what their word is, they return to their seat and write down the significance of their word to the story. When everyone is finished, we review the words starting with the first person who guessed their secret story word correctly."

Mosaic of Thought

From Patty Meek, a sixth grade language arts teacher at Bellmar Middle School in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania:

"The best ideas for reading comprehension are in the book, Mosaic of Thought by Ellen Keene. This book made me cry and others have reacted in the same way. I'll never think of reading comprehension in the same way again."

Literature Letters

From Carol Aten, a sixth grade language arts teacher at Bellmar Middle School in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania:

"I do a project called literature letters. My students choose a book to read and are matched with a partner. The students divide the books into four sections. After they read the first section, they write a letter explaining that section to their partner. The partner writes back and asks questions about the book. This helps the students concentrate on what's happening in the story because they know they must explain it in a letter. They do this for all four sections of the book and send a duplicate of each letter for me to read. Literature letters allow me to check comprehension and simultaneously develop my students' writing skills."

Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)

Read Share Pairs

From Vicky Lanz-Greenberg, a sixth grade teacher at Francis Walsh Intermediate School in Branford, Connecticut:

"One of the ways I get my students to enjoy reading independently is by having an activity I call Read Share Pairs. I ask each student to give me the names of five other kids in the class (at least one must be of the opposite gender) and I create the pairs. Each student selects a book to read that has not been a movie and hasn't been read by his or her partner. During sustained silent reading each day, they read for about 15 minutes and then share what they've read with their partners for 5-10 minutes. If a student's partner is absent that day, that student writes a brief summary in order to fill in the partner when he/she returns. The children read at their own ability level and in any genre they choose. It doesn't matter how many pages the book has because if they finish before their partner, they simple begin a new book. Sometimes kids agree to switch partners at the conclusion of a round. The listeners are encouraged to make drawings or do some activities inspired by what they've heard from their partner thus motivating the reader to give lots of details when they share. Both partners are encouraged to share personal experiences about what they read and hear. When either partner finishes a novel, the listening partner must write a summary of the novel. This insures that they take responsibility for being attentive, interactive listeners. Kids love to share what they see on movies and TV and this gives them the same opportunity to share their books. By the time one round of Read Share Pairs is completed, each child will have added two books to their repertoire. There's no motivation problem now!"

Silent Reading Baskets

From Shelley Reinacher, a third grade teacher at Southwest Elementary in Lakeland, Florida:

"My students used to waste a lot of their silent reading time picking out their books so I purchased a plastic basket for each student. When my students arrive in the morning, it is their job to pick out silent reading books before the day begins. They place the book in their basket that stays in their cubby until it's time to read. No more time wasted on picking out books! Their library books are also placed in these baskets, so it cuts down on library books being misplaced."

SSR Motivators

From Patricia Pason, a fifth grade teacher at Spring Creek Elementary in Elko, Nevada:

"Everybody knows that daily SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) is important, but it's sometimes hard to keep kids on task. Here are two very simple ideas: After reading, I have the students buddy up for a pair share time. I give each partner about a minute to share what they've read that day while their partner practices good listening skills. The other idea I use (not everyday since teachers should also read during this time) is to have one index card for each student. Then I pick students at random, write down the title of the book they are reading and the page they are on. They also tell me in one or two sentences what they've read. This way I can make sure they've made progress in whatever book they have chosen. The kids actually like the one-on-one attention with book sharing and get mad when it's not their turn."

Read Across America Activities

P.A.U.S.E.

From Faye Smith, a fourth grade teacher at Lamar Elementary School in Augusta, Georgia:

"P.A.U.S.E. stands for Pedaling Across America Everyday. For the last couple of months, my students have been pedaling an exercise bike to various states. We left Atlanta several weeks ago on our way to South Carolina. Each day we PAUSE to hear a story or students read silently as a child pedals on the bike. The number of miles, the number of pages read, and the time are recorded on chart paper. In addition, students go to the computer to find out the weather for that day. As we PAUSE during the day, we come across words that we think would work well with our daily journal. The journal must include the target words for that day. The chart is placed in the writing center for students to practice cursive writing or they may type it on the computer or typewriter. We discuss places of interest and incorporate the curriculum objectives for all academic areas. Right now, we are eighty miles from South Carolina."

Kids Read Across America

From Deanna Benson White, a sixth grade language arts teacher at St. James Middle School in Surfside Beach, South Carolina:

"In celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday this year, our students read their way across the country from Myrtle Beach, SC to Los Angeles, CA. They used the Internet to chart their course, determine their mileage, and consider places to visit at each interim destination. They were able to travel one mile for each page read. The classes plotted their trips on a large wall map in the classroom. Once they had "arrived" at their final destination, they planned and read the return trip. Record-keeping consisted of a spreadsheet form giving the date of each reading, amount of time involved, number of pages read, title and author of the book, and a mandatory verifying signature of a parent or guardian. The students submitted their sheets each Monday with their personal totals, and then the class total was used to identify that week's interim location. This could also be modified to visit other countries and explore other continents, as well as allowing students to plan and read personal trips using individual maps. Due to the great success of the first adventure, the classes have planned additional trips as they explore their wonderful land. The students loved the entire experience."

Reading in the Halls

From Marilyn Rufkahr, a teacher at Lee Hamilton Elementary in Ferguson, Missouri:

"For Read Across America, we took time at the end of the day and every single student and teacher sat in the hallway and read for thirty minutes. It was awesome! Our principal feels that we should do this every week. I hope we can do that. It was wonderful!"

From Jan Cerabona, a teacher at Eliot Elementary School in Eliot, Maine:

"We plan to celebrate Read Across America Day by inviting community members to read to children and their parents. We will end the evening with a birthday cake. During the day, the kindergarten students will read and eat Green Eggs and Ham. The students will also read Hop on Pop and hop on bubble wrap. Other classrooms will be inviting guest readers too. Read Across America continues to be a successful event at our school."

Reading Across America

From Trudy Henderson-Norland, a reading teacher at Vallivue Middle School in Caldwell, Idaho:

"In addition to the many school wide activities for Dr. Seuss's birthday last year, my classroom was cleared of all the furniture and we made a colored masking tape outline of America on the carpet. Students were given a colorful pillow and a Cat-In-the-Hat hat. They found the approximate location of the state where they planned to stretch out and read my collection of Dr. Seuss or self-selected books during their reading class period."

Dr. Seuss Goes Sports

From a teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Beach, North Dakota:

"Our school chose the theme Dr. Seuss Goes Sports for Read Across America. Each room will have the month of February to submit a collective single story of Dr. Seuss in some sporting event. I can't wait to hear the stories on March 2nd. A representative from each room will read their class story in a school assembly that day. What excitement to author, to compete and to share!"

Dr. Seuss Day

From Richard Brisco and Renee Kimsey, teachers at Marysville Elementary in Portland, Oregon:

"We are getting ready for Dr. Seuss Day and we have a host of activities that we would like to share. We have some children who are assigned as Roving Readers. They will go into each class and read a bit of Dr. Seuss. We also have guest readers from the community that will come in and read to the classes. We're planning a Dr. Seuss Assembly. The Roving Readers will read to the whole school and act out parts of the stories, we'll have a Dr. Seuss type play and a Dr. Seuss band. We even have a mural being made during the day. All day we will have Muffins for Moms and Donuts for Dad that invites the parents into the school to share some of their favorite stories with their children's classes. Dr. Seuss Day is a fun day of learning for all."

From Pam Kunselman, a second grade teacher at Amanda Elementary School in Amanda, Ohio:

"Our students are encouraged to dress up as Seuss characters. To go along with the theme, we persuaded our lunchroom staff to serve green eggs and ham. To involve the community, the local librarian will be presenting a retelling of The Cat in the Hat, using props and volunteers from the audience. Parents, principal, and community members will be invited into my classroom throughout the day. I will schedule readers such as one would for parent/teacher conference day."

Progressive Seuss Book

From Susan Davis, a fifth grade teacher at Madison Heights Elementary School in Madison Heights, Virginia:

"We write a school-wide Dr. Seuss-type book. Each class writes a chapter. We have four sections of each grade and the book will begin in kindergarten. The children collectively write a chapter and send it on to the next kindergarten class. After all K's have written, it will be passed on to 1st through 5th grades and special education. We also decorate classroom doors as book jackets of popular Seuss books. We have invited school board members and others to read. We dress as favorite Seuss characters. Older children also read Seuss books to younger children. We eat green eggs and ham for breakfast that day, too. My fifth grade teaches the younger ones how to make "oobleck" from Bartholomew and the Oobleck."

Readathons/Reading Week

Electronic Reading Group

From Laurie Martin, a school library/media specialist at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"It's Right-To-Read Month at our school and in addition to many student activities, we organized an email reading discussion group for our staff. The staff makes comments about favorite books and things we are currently reading. This ongoing dialogue includes discussions about classics, best sellers, books on tape and movies. Of course we always say the book is better than the movie! Our students are submitting on-line book reviews which are available on our school library web page."

Pop Your Top and Read

From Mary Perry, a fourth grade teacher at Benvenue Elementary School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina:

"My students love Pop Your Top and Read Day. Each student brings a soda or juice drink and a book to class. We all find a comfortable reading spot around the room and on the count of three everyone 'pops their tops' and enjoys a thirty-minute recreational reading period. We have also done Reading is A Hole Lot of Fun and eat donut holes while we read. When we do Reading is Cool we have a Popsicle while we're reading and when we do Pop Open a Great Book we chew gum while we read."

Sleeping Bag Readathon

From Stella Boc, a third grade teacher from Orange Avenue School, Cranford, New Jersey:

"Our third grade teachers and I periodically have a Readathon. This is an afternoon of nothing but reading. The kids bring in bags of reading material: books, comic books, magazines, etc., their sleeping bags or blankets, and a healthy snack. We spread the desks out to clear the floor, put down our sleeping bags, take off our shoes, and read, read, read. No talking is allowed, just reading. About half way through the afternoon we take a break, eat our snacks and share what we've read so far. Very often a child will keep us hanging, leaving us at a very exciting or mysterious part of the book they're reading. This is especially good on a dreary or snowy January afternoon. We repeat the Readathon in the spring outside, using picnic blankets. The kids love it!

But REMEMBER teachers - to read also, and set a good example. This is a perfect opportunity to catch up on your own reading, even if it's just the daily newspaper or magazine. Before the event, we send home a flyer explaining what the children are doing. The kids often take off their shoes and really snuggle up with a good book."

Fundraising Readathon

From Dawn Arbogast, a fifth grade teacher at East Marshall Middle School in Gilman, Iowa:

"Our 5th grade class is fundraising for an overnight field trip later on in the spring. We are having a Readathon. Students are asking parents, grandparents, and friends to sponsor them for a few cents for every minute they read. This is also a good math activity because first we estimated how much a good pledge would be. When the class found out their estimate would cost their parents over $30 they soon found a better estimate."

Olympic Reading Event

From Liz Oakley, a third grade teacher at Lockhart Elementary in Orlando, Florida:

"During the Olympics, my friend and I came up with a creative way to get students excited about reading. At the beginning of February we announced a Reading Olympics. Each child has a blank chart with 20 squares on it to be put up on a bulletin board (decorated patriotically with olympic rings). Forms are sent home to the parents that say, 'My child ________ has read for 30 minutes. A book that she/he has read is __________. Signed (Parent signature).' Of course the time spent reading can be changed according to grade level and ability of the students. Each time the students bring in a form, they get a book sticker on their chart.

This lasts for a month. At the end of the Olympics, if the students have read for 600 minutes (every night for 30 minutes), they will receive a gold medal; 450 minutes is a silver medal; and 300 minutes for a bronze medal. We bought the medals through a teachers' store but I have even seen them at Target. We have a big ceremony and invite parents who bring patriotic goodies. At the ceremony we give out the medals as well as certificates that state how many minutes each child has read."

Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) Week

From Lynne Routzong, a first through fifth grade resource room teacher (also EEA President) at Western Heights Elementary School in Eufaula, Alabama:

"We celebrate reading for a week. On Monday the teachers perform skits taken from familiar story books. On Tuesday at a given time our school will Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) whether students are in PE, music, etc. On Wednesday we have a storybook character parade/contest. On Thursday we have a short story writing/illustrating contest. On Friday local football players, cheerleaders and band members will come to our school for a pep rally for reading. Later that day city officials will visit schools and read to classrooms."

Guest Readers

Every Job Requires Readers

From Alison Young, a kindergarten teacher in San Angelo, Texas:

"We have guest readers come to our school and read to classes from kindergarten through grade 5. Our objective is to help the children have a better understanding of the concept that every job requires readers. We will have people like the fire chief and fire fighters, a vice president of a local bank, senators, and other local businessmen and businesswomen.

In the afternoon we will split into two groups (K-2 and 3-5) for rotating reading activities. The children will do three 45-minute activities that will be brought to the classes by other grade level teachers. The four grade level teachers will teach the same lesson so the kids will receive three reading activities. The three activities in kindergarten will be making a book cover to fit a short story they hear, writing a summary of a book they listen to, and doing a choral reading with props of a poem they learn. These will be adapted for each level of learners."

Reading Month Guests

From Margaret Stamm, a reading specialist at Mt. Rainier Elementary School in Prince George's County, Maryland:

"During reading month (January), we invite guest readers to read to each class. We invite local politicians, the fire chief, police chief, school administrators, local merchants - anyone I can think of. Each class has one special reader during the last week of the month. If we can't get 'biggies,' then parents do very nicely. We recently had a parent as guest reader and she brought a bag with books she is reading (all at the same time). What a wonderful example for the children. She brought a cookbook, her school book from her current course, the newspaper funnies, her bedside book, a novel, and a magazine."

Reading Games

Puzzle Reading

From Jeanne Fraser, a special education teacher at Woodson ED Center in Fairfax, Virginia:

"I found a wonderful way to get my students to read text carefully. Before we begin an abbreviated discussion of the chapters, the students solve a puzzle. Sometimes the puzzle is a simple crossword, word search, word search with a twist where the students use clues to find the words in the puzzle, tumble puzzles or Scrabble tiles. All the puzzles require a journey through the appropriate chapter. They love these puzzles and haven't figured out yet that they are learning at the same time! By the time we leave a chapter, we have gone over the information three or four times in different forms."

Prove It!

From Pamela Quale-Birk, a teacher at Glencoe Elementary School in Portland, Oregon:

"Prove It is a reading game I play with my students and advocate for parents to play at home too. It is more than a game. It is a vital step toward learning to gain meaning from text by skimming. After reading a passage, I ask questions about the text. After each question is answered, I have the students 'prove it' by going back to the text and skimming to find the word or passage that provides the answer. This proof may happen on any level of questioning strategy from literal to interpretive."

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Beowulf Game

From Barbara Keihle, a language arts teacher at Nestucca High School in Cloverdale, Oregon:

"My students dislike Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon period when I first start teaching it but after the first battle with Grendel, they really get into the excitement of the story. At the end of the unit this year, the entire class has to design a game, reflecting the key elements of the story and times. I gave my students a handout with guidelines, a deadline, a large piece of posterboard, and they took it from there. The task emphasizes cooperative learning, allows students to contribute their expertise and really stretches their thoughts. After the students present their final product, I'll let them play the game. It's a delight to stand back and watch the entire process take place!"

Passwords

From Anne Gross, a first grade teacher at Orange River Elementary School in Ft. Myers, Florida:

"Each week in reading we focus on the sound of a consonant. During the week when we learn the sound of 'P,' we use a 'password' to enter the reading circle. The password is any word that has the initial sound of 'P' such as pie, pony, paper, or purse. In order for a student to take a seat in the reading circle, he or she is asked say any word that begins with the sound of 'P.' After they say a word that begins with 'P,' I say 'Please come in.' This is a fun learning activity that starts the lesson with PIZZAZZ!"

"Poison" Words

From Jennifer Navarro, a third through sixth grade resource teacher at Uintah Elementary in Ogden, Utah:

"For a change of pace, we do something we call Poison Word. Before we start reading aloud, I choose a word the children will come across in the story they are going to read. (The idea is to choose a word that the kids will come across frequently enough so you can give everyone enough turns to read.)

It works like this: a student starts reading the selection and when she/he comes to the poison word, he/she stops reading without saying the poison word. The next person says the poison word and keeps reading until he/she comes to the poison word, and so on. If the student who is reading accidentally says the poison word, he/she is skipped the next time around. With this method some students will read only one or two words before they have to stop and others will read four or five sentences, but it's not a big deal to the kids. The rest of the class is glued to the book because they are trying to see who is going to get out by accidentally reading the poison word. Every once in a while I will choose the word 'the' for fun, but choosing a word that is said so often will make comprehension a little tougher."

Popcorn Reading

From Sally Hundley, a teacher at Waynesville Middle School in Waynesville, North Carolina, and Sandra M. Sroka, a seventh and eighth grade alternative education teacher at Apex House/Christopher Columbus Middle School in Clifton, New Jersey:

"When I have students read a passage, they only read as much as they can handle and then say 'popcorn' and the name of another student who reads next. Most end up reading longer passages than they would be assigned by me and all have to stay on their toes. If students are not on track they must read until the teacher tells them to stop. As you would expect, students stop in the middle of sentences, paragraphs, etc. I culminate this activity with a popcorn treat if all students have been on track."

Integrated Reading Activities

Graphing Gingerbread

From Ann Harsh, a kindergarten teacher for River Valley School District in Spring Green, Wisconsin:

"I read the traditional story of the gingerbread boy to my students and we listen to it on tape. After they've heard that, I read them The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. As a follow up activity, the children cut out a gingerbread baby and we bake them in our toaster oven during center time. When it's time to eat them, the children are instructed to take only one bite and then go to the discussion circle. The children graph which body part they ate first. After the graph is discussed, the children are allowed to go back and gobble up their cookies."

Cooking Party

From Elaine Hardman, a special education and remedial language arts teacher at Andover Central School in Andover, New York:

"My children enjoy an after school cooking party. To give things a language education twist, all communication during the party is written on the board. If students have a question, they must write it on the board and then read their answer. They are allowed to talk with each other and our teacher aide is allowed to listen and answer with a yes or no. On occasion, such as when I notice a ? cup of salt heading toward a bowl, I will jump up and down or tap the chalk on the board to get someone's attention. When the food is ready to cook, normal talking can resume. Group cooperation is a lovely thing to see, especially at the end of a voluntarily extended day."

Giving to the Class

From Erin Kelley, a first grade teacher at Bidwell Elementary in Antioch, California:

"On the first day of school, I read the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstien. This is a great way to get the children thinking about giving and receiving. After I read the book, I ask the children to either write or draw what they plan to give to the class and I display their gifts for back to school night."

Integrating Hansel and Gretel Across the Curriculum

From Nora Garcia, a first grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Santa Ana, California:

"I read Hansel and Gretel to my class and then we graph colors and shapes. The students' objective is to make a pattern of shapes and colors showing how they would get from their house to the witch's house. We address geography and social studies by discussing addresses. In art, we make gingerbread houses. As glue we use a mixture of three egg whites, half a teaspoon of cream of tarter and one pound of confectioner's sugar. We glue graham crackers together for the house and use upside down sugar cones topped with green frosting and candies for trees. In science, we discuss trees, plants and living matter. Finally, we write about our experience. By the way, I am looking for a Chinese cookie recipe in which you fry the cookies ? please help."

Dinosaurs in Language Arts

From Mary Loomis, a first grade teacher at Perry Local Schools in Perry, Ohio:

"In the spring, our social studies unit includes dinosaurs. One way to combine language arts and social studies is to use the book called, 'If I Were a Dinosaur'. We read the story and then the children sequence the dinosaurs they met in the story. They pick out the nouns and the verbs and identify the number of syllables in the dinosaurs' names. Finally, they write a creative writing piece of their own about what would happen if the dinosaurs did come back. At this time of year, it keeps the children's attention and interest."

Reading Exercises

Read To Lead

From Faye Smith, a fourth grade teacher at Lamar Elementary School in Augusta, Georgia:

"Here's a new way to pick classroom helpers. I read stories to my students everyday. Each morning I write several sentences on the board from the stories I read to the class the previous week. I randomly choose students to read one of the sentences and tell me from which story it came. The students who respond correctly are the helpers for the day."

Focusing on Reading

From M.L. Anderegg, a teacher at Dallas Elementary School in Dallas, Georgia:

"I give my remedial readers a 2 inch by 8 ? inch strip of black construction paper to lay under the line of print they are reading. The black strip keeps them focused on the line they are reading and the print under the line is no longer distracting."

Short Vowels

From anonymous:

"The short vowel sounds can be hard to remember so I teach my students the sentence, WAX MELTS IN HOT SUN. This has the short vowel sounds in order, it's not babyish and it's easy to remember."

Teachers Make Mistakes Too

From Roberta Braverman, a teacher at Mount Laurel Hartford School in Mount Laurel, New Jersey:

"I deliberately make errors when I read to my class. When we read together and the kids are following along in their own books or on their own papers, I sometimes reverse the words. For example, if the paper reads 'up' I might say 'down'. The students are allowed and encouraged to shout out the correct word. It seems like such fun when I act so bewildered and they look forward to finding my mistakes. Those who weren't tuned in by the first error or two, certainly look forward to finding my mistakes and joining in with the others. This helps kids read at a faster pace than they might have done independently and makes a game of recognizing words out of context or silly add-ins."

Point and Read

From Betty Lightfoot, a kindergarten and Reading Recovery teacher at Los Ninos Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona:

"I ask my young readers to point to the words when they read. This helps them attend to the print and really read. To help my children remember to 'point and read' during their guided reading groups, I have them put on a plastic finger with a red fingernail. Stores sell these witches' fingers around Halloween time. The plastic fingers come in a variety of colors and the children love to put them on their pointer fingers and then 'point and read'. Sometimes I put happy face stickers on their pointer fingers and other times we point with chop sticks and coffee stirrers."

Daily Poetry Reading

From Ginny Thompson, a fifth grade teacher at Lincoln School in Appleton, Wisconsin:

"To help my students improve their oral reading skills and become familiar with poetry, I have one student a day read one self-selected poem a day. Students need to prepare for their poetry reading. Many students use the books, Kids Pick the Funniest Poems and No More Homework! No More Tests! These books are filled with humorous poems selected by Bruce Lansky. On Fridays, one of the students reads a selection over the PA system. Students love reading funny poems to their peers!"

Environmental Prints

From Harlika O'Balles, a first grade teacher at Elizabeth Learning Center, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, California:

"I use environmental prints as one way to give students a purpose to read. Children bring in packaging from cereal, bread, juices, and other food items. The children read the labels for various purposes: to read to themselves; share with a friend; locate a letter, sound, digraph, or blend; or to find words or sentences. Because the children found and brought the printed materials, chances are they have similar materials in their homes, where they can also share this new knowledge and skill with their families."

Friday Funnies

From Adrien Helm, a sixth grade reading teacher at Meadowlawn Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida:

"My sixth grade reading students look forward to 'Friday Funnies.' All week I clip comic strips (usually four or five only) which illustrate aspects of language use, and project them in class with the overhead projector. Often they provide excellent examples of puns, double entrendre, or simply quality writing. They also are an excellent, brief vehicle for cultural education. In addition, by asking 'do you get this?' I am able to see where I need to structure lessons in critical reading."

Morning Message

From anonymous:

"I write a morning message to my students composed of events for that day, etc. Then we use that message to work on reading strategies and skill work as a group. My students love it and it Works4Me!"

Reading to High Schoolers

From Susan May, a teacher and journalism advisor at McCook High School in McCook, Nebraska:

"I like to chose a selection from one of my 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' books to read aloud to my junior/senior high students. I wear my tall striped 'Dr. Suess' hat, and then one of the students gets to wear the hat for the rest of the class. Whenever I misplace the hat or forget to put it on, the kids find it and gently place it on my head. Sometimes we do an activity associated with the story I read. Some days I 'act' the story rather than read it aloud. I like to teach point of view by reading/acting the 'Three Little Pigs' and contrasting it with the wolf's story titled, 'The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.' I let the students choose a motivational quotation out of my books to write on the chalk board. Dr. Suess's 'Oh, The Places You'll Go' is a great one to read aloud to any audience and a great book to give as a graduation gift. I also like to read/act 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,' especially when I can tell my students lack motivation and need some laughter.

Many children's books are short and have great messages for any age audience. I would advise anyone to spend some time browsing in the children's section of the library."

Reading on Tape

From Roberta Braverman, a fifth and sixth grade enrichment and gifted academic program teacher at Mount Laurel Hartford School in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey:

"As a student teacher, many years ago, I had to figure out a way to deliver the content of social studies and science to all kids, including the non-readers. My solution was to tape record someone narrating each chapter of the textbooks. I used family members (to vary the voices and styles) as readers and added music and sounds (bell) to keep the kids on the correct page.

"Tapes can be loaned with an inexpensive cassette player or recorder for homework, and absentees can catch up by listening with headsets in the back of the room. Duplicate sets of tapes and keep the originals in case one gets lost. Take off the rewrite tab so that kids can't tape over or erase the content.

"Commercial read-along tapes are often geared to primary and pre-school ages, so I tried to include contemporary music to increase motivation and make the 'brain based learning' connections. Knowing how to follow the words and when to turn the pages helps kids process new information without the struggle. Some students can develop sight vocabulary faster than applying phonics. Provide a related vocabulary list, with illustrations, if possible."