Read-In for Community and Joy

Event Ideas

READ ACROSS AMERICA’S BIG READ-IN

Bring your whole school or community together around the joy of shared reading with a Read Across America’s Big Read-In featuring special guest readers, read-alouds, hands-on and student-centered experiences, and diverse books for students to keep! 

For a Big Read-In, think big! Hold your Read Across America Big Read-In in a space that can accommodate a large group and invite lots of special guest readers—educators, families, community leaders, athletes, artists, authors, and others—to model enthusiasm for reading and share stories that reflect a wide range of voices and experiences.

Kick off the event with a short, playful reading warm-up to get everyone ready to read together. Led by a guest athlete, physical education teacher, or high school sports team, the warm-up might include getting readers ready by having them “expand their horizons” (stand on their toes, stretch arms out), “let their fingers do the walking” (wriggle their fingers and wrists), and make funny faces to warm up facial muscles for reading aloud. Add any other warm-up or focus exercise your guest athlete typically does before having them read the opening story.

From there have students rotate through a mix of book adventure breakouts. Set up stations anchored by a guest reader sharing a book, followed by discussion and activity. Find books and activities appropriate for your readers. Or you might try: 

• We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang and making kindness bookmarks, offering encouraging messages for fellow readers
• The History of We by Nikkolas Smith and reflecting on “We are…” prompts to explore community and belonging to develop a community poem
• ¡Mistaco! A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas by Eliza Kinkz and drawing original “mistacos” to explore learning from our mistakes
• A Sky That Sings by Anita Sanchez and George Steele and listening to audio of birdsong, learning and creating mnemonic phrases to help identify birds

Once everyone has visited each station, bring readers together for even more reading. Try:

• Poetry in Motion  — an interactive read-aloud that invites students to interpret text through movement and expression
• Read and Draw — read-aloud and drawing demonstration with a guest author/illustrator
• A Chorus of Readers — everyone reads aloud a poem or picture book in unison

Close out your Read Across America Big Read-In with refreshments, a book distribution where every student gets to choose a book to take home and keep, and a cheer-reader squad of educators, guests, or students walking everyone out with:

• Stories told—
  Make us bold!
• Page by page—
  Learn, grow, engage!
• Readers united—
  Will never be divided!

READ-IN MARATHON

A Read-In Marathon is an all-day, school-wide celebration where reading goes the distance—across spaces, subjects, and moments. Along with independent reading sessions, weave reading into every moment of the school day with:

Books on the Bus

• In-Bus Reading: Have a student or guest reader read aloud to riders through a PA system
• Read and Ride: Stock every school bus with books for different ages, letting every rider choose a book for silent or buddy reading on the journey to school

Books and Breakfast

• Pancakes, Pages, and Peeps: Family members join students for school breakfast and time to read aloud together
• Buddy Breakfast Reading: Older students pair with younger students to read to each other in the cafeteria and enjoy breakfast treats

STEM Story Time

• Career Readers: Bring professionals from science, technology, engineering, and math fields into classrooms to share STEM-themed books and connect stories to their careers
• Out of this World Reads: Watch Story Time from Space and check out astronauts on the International Space Station reading children’s books and performing science demonstrations
• Math Mysteries: Solve a Math Story Mystery with a short story that sets up a case for students to solve through a series of math tasks

Pages in P.E.

• Fairy Tale Fitness: Turn literary references from fairy tales or folk tales into a steps, tasks, and challenges for P.E. students: climbing ropes become Jack’s beanstalk or Rapunzel’s hair, a wedge mat is for Jack and Jill to climb and roll down, and a cargo net is Anansi’s web
• Books in Motion: Read aloud while students take book titles literally, using movement to match the action in books such as Barnyard Dance, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and I Got the Rhythm, interpret the action in titles such as Firebird or Jabari Jumps, or try a favorite character’s sport or activity, such as fencing with It’s All or Nothing, Vale or tai chi with Měi Yīng in Fake Chinese Sounds

Literary Lunch

• Books on the Menu: Serve up foods inspired by great books and accompany the meal with read-alouds of titles like Fry Bread, Freedom Soup, Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao, and Pie Is for Sharing, or book talks for titles like Measuring Up or A Phở Love Story
• Lunch and Listen: Supplement what’s on the menu with a side of story—a read-aloud by the principal or special guest reader while students eat their lunches

Read at Recess

• Tale Trail: Set up a StoryWalk^® on the playground, posting pages of a book where students can stroll outdoors and read
• Stories Take Root: Dedicate or celebrate a “Reading Tree” on school grounds where all are welcome to read and relax under the leaves

Tune In to Books 

• Sing a Book: Choose a book, find the rhythm, pick out a familiar tune, and have students sing the words of the story
• Sound and Story: Read aloud Popular Songs Turned into Picture Books then listen together to the original tune
• Choral Reading: Add orchestration to accompany students as they read aloud a poem or picture book in unison

Poetry Pop Up

• Poetry on the Intercom: At scheduled intervals, school leadership, students, and guests share a poem over the PA system

Library Lounge

• Afterschool at the Starbooks Café: Turn the library into an even cozier place to read with a hot chocolate bar for a student book club
• Shelf Adventure: Hold a scavenger hunt in the library asking students to find books in various genres, about particular subjects, or featuring specific characters with books or bookmarks as prizes

Living Room Literacy

• Big Book Distribution: Give students the opportunity to choose books of their own to keep so they can continue their day of reading at home

Bedtime Book Broadcast: Invite families to a virtual storytime with read-alouds by school staff and special guests.

READ-IN FOR A CAUSE

A Read-In for a Cause is a quiet, powerful way to take a stand and show support for an issue or community your school cares about. Inspired by the tradition of sit-ins, a Read-In gathers people in a shared space—anywhere from a park to a library to city hall steps—to read together in solidarity. Participants bring books and other reading materials connected to the cause. The focus is on being present together, celebrating the power of reading to inspire change, and demonstrating commitment to unity and thoughtful action.

Before planning a Read-In for a Cause, engage your students or school community in conversations about issues that matter to them. Discuss how a Read-In at different locations could help bring attention to those causes or other important topics, such as:

• Support for libraries or opposition to censorship and book banning at a school or public library
• Funding for schools and libraries at the steps of the state capitol, city hall, or county government building
• Climate change and environmental justice at a local park
• Social justice, immigration rights, and anti-bullying initiatives at a community center
• Literacy and community engagement at a local bookstore or café

By quietly gathering together, a Read-In for a Cause honors the spirit of peaceful protest while showing that thoughtful presence and shared ideas can be just as powerful as a march or rally. After the Read-In, encourage participants to reflect on the experience through discussion, journaling, art, or by contributing favorite passages to a shared display, celebrating both the reading and their collective commitment to the cause.

POETRY READ-IN

Holding a Poetry Read-In to celebrate Read Across America is a great way to help introduce readers to a wider variety of poets and poetry and inspire students to create their own works. It can also be an opportunity for students, community members, and others to perform their work or the work of poets they admire.

Younger students will delight in the wonder, energy, and humor of poetry delivered by enthusiastic guest readers. Use that energy to put poetry in motion at your Poetry Read-In! After a poem is shared, re-read it, demonstrating how to interpret the text using movement. Then provide students with a copy of the poem and ask them to think about what dance moves they would use to express emotions or actions from select stanzas or the entire text. They can work in pairs or small groups to explore movements, energy, and timing, then share their moves when the poem is read aloud again. As your Poetry Read-In continues, add live or recorded music beneath the poetry readings, creating an atmosphere that inspires students to keep the beat and improvise more dance movements as they listen.

Get ideas and practice some moves from Poetry and Movement before browsing Read Across America recommended poetry for selections to read aloud. 

For older students, your Poetry Read-In might take the form of a Poetry Café. Partner with your school or public librarian to plan an event where students can present their original work, recite a published poem, or just listen to what’s shared. Plan to limit time at the mic or the number of poems per reader to ensure everyone has a chance to participate. And have some selected poems on hand for last minute participants. Set up round tables café-style (with tablecloths and flameless tea lights) around a central stage area to make the library feel like a café. Hold the event during lunch periods and let students eat while they listen or plan for an afterschool event complete with afterschool snacks.

After the event, compile a list of the published poems students shared and create a display featuring works by those poets. For students who read original work, ask permission to showcase their poems in the library to celebrate their creativity and extend the spirit of the Read Across America Poetry Read-In.

Classroom Activities

CLASSROOM READ-IN DAY

Devote a full day to books with a Classroom Read-In Day and give students the chance to slow down, choose texts that matter to them, and engage with reading in a way that’s personal, relaxing, and fun. Students spending a whole day reading side by side with their peers adds excitement to reading and helps foster a strong classroom reading culture.

You can make things cozy for your day of reading by encouraging students to bring pillows or blankets from home along with favorite books from their shelves. Students can also visit the school library ahead of time to select new books to explore and enjoy during Read-In Day. Or reshape and stock your classroom with a variety of themed reading corners where students can find different genres of books to try, like a Nonfiction Nook with a colorful reading rug, Fantasy Land with gauzy hanging curtains and fairy lights, or Adventure Camp with camp chairs and a tent.

Keep the day loosely structured. You might add some variety and break up independent reading time here and there with a read-aloud, book talks, or some partner or buddy reading. You might also see students start to notice who is reading what, discover some new favorites, and share their own excitement about what they are reading. 

READ ACROSS THE STATES READ-IN

Take students on a literary road trip across the country! With a Read Across the States Read-In, students explore a variety of picture books set in different states and celebrate the diversity of places, perspectives, and stories that make up our country. 

Gather Books From All 50 States (and Washington, D.C.), providing a mix of genres so there’s something to draw every reader into the journey. During the Read-In, let students choose the titles they want to read during this day that’s mostly devoted to independent reading. Offer a few rest stops during this reading road trip for read-aloud sessions featuring books from states that have significance to you or to invited guest readers. In addition, plan for a few moments to check the map, gathering the class to notice patterns, offer recommendations to classmates, or make quick connections between stories.

As students finish a picture book or hear one read aloud, add the titles in the appropriate state to collectively fill a large classroom map of the United States. Once the map is filled with all the stories students explored, have them reflect on their reading journey by creating a postcard. On one side, they can draw a setting from one of the books, and on the other, share some of the learning adventures they had, writing about memorable moments, ideas, or discoveries from their reading. Display the postcards around the map and celebrate all the places that reading can take you!

READ-IN ON THE GREEN

What you can do inside, you can do outside! Reading isn’t just something that happens between classroom walls. Show students that books and reading can go wherever they are with an outdoor Read-In on the Green.

It can be as simple as grabbing some books and heading outside to your schoolyard. Pull together a collection of old blankets and sheets or ask students to bring beach towels for sitting on the ground. Once outdoors, let students choose their own reading spot, giving them freedom to settle in with their book where they feel most comfortable. You might also choose to bring students together for an outdoor read-aloud session, creating a shared moments around books while connecting reading with the natural world through age-appropriate titles like A Sky That Sings, I Love Salmon and Lampreys, On a Wing and a Tear, Will's Race for Home, Ash’s Cabin, Where Wolves Don’t Die, or Wings in the Wild / Alas salvajes.

For a more elaborate experience, add a book-nic to your Read-In. Pack a picnic basket with books to read aloud paired with snacks—such as dry roasted edamame and Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic, mini pies and Pie Is for Sharing, or fruit kebabs and A Song of Frutas / Un pregón de frutas.

In a world where technology shapes so much of our daily experiences, nature has become a much smaller part of a student’s perspective. The sense of wonder that nature provides is exactly the curiosity you want students to bring to a book and can lead to fabulous and meaningful Read Across America celebrations in outdoor spaces.