Did you know that March is National Reading Month? While we should be reading and celebrating books all year long, this gives us the extra opportunity to promote literacy. All month long, you can add in some bonus activities to motivate and engage the readers in your classroom. Here are some special reading month activities for elementary school classrooms.
Invite an author to your school
Invite an author to come visit your classroom or school. This is a wonderful way to bridge the connection between the books your students are reading and the writers who created them. Not only will your students be engaged, but they’ll be inspired to read and write! Check out this blog post all about inviting an author to your school.
Host a book pass
A book pass is a simplified version of a book tasting. It gives students the chance to preview a wide variety of books in a short amount of time. They’ll have the opportunity to fill up their to-be-read list! I have a blog post all about setting up a book pass (with a freebie for you!).
Classroom book raffle
Raffle off the opportunity for students to be the first to read brand-new books in your classroom! They will be so eager to get their hands on a new book before their peers. Head over to the classroom book raffle post to learn more about it.
Invite guest readers into the classroom
Students love to have a fresh face come into the classroom to read a book! It can be exciting to have someone they know surprise them, such as a relative or another staff member from the school. It can be just as exciting to have someone they’ve never met before, such as a community member.
In this guest readers blog post, I have lots of tips and freebies to help get you started!
Buddy read with a different grade level
Build reading confidence in your upper elementary students by partnering up with a lower grade level to buddy-read. Not only do younger children look up to the big kids, but the older students love being role models for them.
Set up a time to visit the classroom. Have your students choose books that they think their younger peers might like. We enjoyed this activity so much in my class that we made it a weekly activity!
Read in a different location
Switch up your reading routine! Choose a new location in the school building (or even outside the building) to have an extra reading time. Students could get comfy in the gymnasium, the hallway or out on the playground. It will definitely add some excitement!
Engage families in reading month activities
Keep the reading excitement going at home too! Send book bags home with your students. Fill each one with books and activities that they can enjoy at home with their families.
These reading month activities can be used at anytime during the year, but are extra special during National Reading Month in March. They are an engaging way to get students excited about reading and hooked on some great books!
