Do you celebrate World Read Aloud Day? It was founded by LitWorld in 2010 and it focuses on the power of the read aloud. It stresses how read-alouds build community and the importance of amplifying new stories. Here are a few of my favorite World Read Aloud Day activities.
Check out World Read Aloud Day activities on my YouTube channel as well!
Read Aloud
The best way to celebrate World Read Aloud Day? Read aloud a favorite book! Schedule in time during the day to read aloud at least one book. This could be a picture book or a chapter from a novel. You could choose one of your favorites or a brand new book.
Not sure what to read? Check out my blog post all about how to choose a read aloud book. I also have a free booklist for you to download with a ton of great ideas!
Storywalk
This is a great way to enjoy reading and the great outdoors! To create a storywalk, simply laminate the pages of a book and stick them on a wooden stake. Install these pages along an outdoor path. Students and staff can walk along the path and read the book as they go!
You could also set up a storywalk in the hallways of your school. This is a great alternative if the weather isn’t great.
Guest Readers
Invite someone special to come read to your class! It could be a parent, the principal, a community member or even an author! A fun way to build excitement around your guest reader is to tease your students with clues in the week leading up to the event. Can they guess who is coming??
A guest reader could even visit your class virtually! Set up a Zoom meeting so students can listen to the story and interact with the reader.
I have more details in this guest readers blog post.
Storytelling Activities
Storytelling is a great way to build reading excitement in your class. By creating their own stories, students will become more interested in books!
Here are a few activities that you could do:
- Storytelling cubes
- Act it Out
- Prompts in a Jar
- Spin a Story
- Draw a Story
- Story in a Box
Check out this storytelling activities blog post to learn more about each activity. Grab the free storytelling templates here!
Reader’s Theater
In Reader’s Theater, students “perform” by reading scripts that are written at their reading level. Props or costumes can be added, as well. Students practice re-reading their part before performing with their script in hand.
This activity combines reading practice and performing. It enhances student reading skills and builds their confidence.
Read-Up or Buddy Reading
Read-Up is a fun way to engage the whole school in World Read Aloud Day activities! Each class travels up to a room at the next grade level and listens to that teacher read a story aloud. The oldest students in the building would go back to the youngest grade level teachers (for example, 5th graders would go to a kindergarten classroom).
An alternative would be buddy reading. Kids pair up with a students in another class to partner read. This is extra special if they buddy up with someone on a different grade level!
Are you going to join millions of readers around the world to celebrate the joy and power of reading aloud and sharing stories? Community and connectedness are more important than ever. These World Read Aloud Day activities can also be used anytime of the year to promote literacy in your classroom!
Listen on the Podcast
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