. Here are ways to help students engage with books. Use these for
Readers Workshop and reading group response activities. Teach interactive ELA
(English language arts) literature-based activities. Book activities are hands-on, multi-sensory, cross-curricular
Montessori-style.
Book club. Use these DIY Summer Reading Camp program printables from Education.com. Kids organize the reading club, choose books,
think up response activities and host events. Serve snacks.
Book party. When the reading group completes a book, have a party
to celebrate! Serve snacks and foods mentioned in the book. Make crafts. Host a
coffee shop in the classroom, like adult book clubs. Kids will love being very
grown-up.
Group reading incentives. Get involved with Pizza Hut Book-It program (homeschoolers, you can participate, too). Have a pizza party
after completing reading goals. Reward reading by giving books as prizes.
Fundraise while reading. Each completed book or hour of reading
donates money to a chosen charity. This give-back is a great way to incent
reading while teaching kids that they don't always need to get prizes. Reading
is reward enough. Helping others while doing it is even better. Check out the One
More Story program. It raises money
for RIF Reading is Fundamental.
Readers theater, Students read stories in chorale format. Readers
must use voice, inflection, projection and emphasis as if they were on stage,
but there's no acting and they're seated.
Puppet show. Make book character puppets. Have kids retell story.
Or let them write their own stories using homemade puppets. High school and
middle school students can create a puppet show to put on for elementary
students. They'll love re-reading favorite books from childhood.
Radio play. Invent a student radio station (WRDR, BOOK, READ).
Using reader's theater techniques, dramatize story. Create sound effects. Add
fake commercials related to book. A Moby Dick radio play might feature
Whale-B-Gone" spray or Happy Hunter's Harpoons. Present on local or school
radio station.
Book to film. Students fill roles as director, properties,
scenery. Make character costumes. Create sets. Design props. Do stage make-up
and special effects. Act out story. Film the production. Upload book-based
films and skits to Youtube. Present to students.
Literature based music videos. Take the playlist selected and
create a book-based music video. Select images from free online photo sharing
sites. Draw images from the story. Or best of all, have students take their own
photos and use these. Make into a slideshow using Windows Media Player. Create
presentations with Microsoft Powerpoint.
