Here are some ideas you can use for I
Love to Read Month with your staff and students. Some schools have
a month long celebration of reading while others may confine it to a week
or a special day celebration. Thanks to the teacher-librarians of Pembina
Trails School Division for these sugggestions. Please send your suggestions to
nududec@pembinatrails.ca.I Love to Read Month is traditionally celebrated in February in Manitoba,
Canada.
ACTIVITIES
Snippets from Picture Books/Contest
Short sections of children's favorite books are read over the in-school
speaker system. Kids try to identify the source.
Folk Tale T-shirts
Teachers use fabric paints to design a t-shirt to represent a favorite
folk tale. T-shirts are displayed or worn. Kids try to guess the tales.
A Story Line
Using A Story Line as inspiration, give students a paper with only a
simple curved line on it which they then use to complete a picture. The
pictures become the illustrations for their stories. A Story Line. Scholastic.
ISBN 0-439-95753-2
Poster - Suggest books for PE
Teacher
Posters that encourage reading go on the gym walls. This leads to
understanding that the love of reading isn't confined to the library.
Song/Sound Trigger
ex. Blast Off to Reading. When kids and adults in the school hear the
sound, they stop and read. Offer a handy pile of good books to your PE, art,
and music specialists for this purpose.
Rockin' Reading
Between songs, have readings. Related to Poetry Slam event. Kids love
this! Kids audition. Free entry for kids who wear a beret. Include musical
staff.and props.
Displays
- Hands On!
Make book displays that kids can raid! Research shows that displays motivate
readers. Link to
research
Web Page
Encouragement
Add links to web sites that have good reading lists. A good example is the
Monroe County Indiana Public Library database at
http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/booklists/children_booklists.html
Make your
own reading lists and post them online.
Readers'
Album
Use a large photo album to store photos of students holding their
favourite books. Include brief reviews of the favourite books.
Olympics Reading
Challenge
You might want to challenge your students
to an Olympic reading event. By reading a predetermined number of books/or
pages students will be able to earn gold, silver, or bronze medals. The
criteria should be determined ahead of time by the teacher and can be based
on individual goals. With this event everyone is a winner!!
Reader's Theatre
Have students or staff members record a story on audio tape to be played
during the morning announcements. Have each class prepare a reader's theatre
production to be played during the I Love to Read celebrations. Alternatively
use ready-made Scripts
Book Title Challenge
Compose sentences using book titles from your school library. Exhibit
unmarked sentences on a bulletin board or on an activity sheet. Have a
contest to see who can come up with the most correct answers. Example:
Ramona and her father asked,
"Will I like it?" when they heard that
there was fish for supper just
before the best Christmas pageant ever.
Digitize
Books by Kids
Book Survey
Conduct a class survey on your favorite books and authors and then
post the results on your school's web page.
Book Report
Game
After completing a book have students choose from your book report
canister how they will share their book with their classmates. Some ideas
are: a book commercial, making a game related to the book, a mobile with
objects that represent one of the main characters in the book, a diorama.
Brainstorm with your students for other book report ideas.
Celebrity
Readers
What's in the
News
Have students read and bring interesting articles from the newspaper
to share with their classmates.
Rock 'n Read
If your library has a rocking chair, move it out in the hallway by
the office for a week or two. Classes sign up on a master schedule
for half hour or hour long periods. Students get the chance to bring
their favourite books and rock 'n read. The location of the
rocking chair highlights the event and classes may select more than one
slot enabling all children to have a turn.
Reader's Grid
- Easy Display
Using coloured yarn, divide a bulletin board into large squares. In
each square identify a genre (or author). Have students autograph the board
in the space that represents the genre (or author) they prefer. Students
could add title and/or author information in the squares.
Book "Trailers"
Students are familiar with movie trailers that are designed to entice
the viewer to watch an upcoming movie. Student-made book trailers could
include enough information to lure other readers to other books in the
class or library. The book trailers would be enhanced with a digital photo
of the book cover or artistic conceptions of characters or events. Book
trailers could be part of a display. Good ones could be duplicated for
wider distribution or included in the school newsletter.
RELATED INTERNET
SITES
I Love to Read - Manitoba, February 2010. Join your students, friends
and colleagues in celebrating the special time. Visit these sites to learn
more.
Manitoba
Authors and Illustrators Bibliography
Manitoba is fortunate to have many excellent authors and illustrators. Learn
who they are using this set of lists.
Read Up
On It Kit
The National Library of Canada publishes both a print and an electronic
version of its Read Up On It Kit. The kit promotes Canadian literature
and reading and covers notable books for children of all ages. Bilingual
100
Things to Do With Books
What should we do when we've finished the book? Here are some ideas.
Whatever you do, have fun!!
Get Caught Reading -
Official web site
Get
Caught Reading - How-to literacy kit from the NWT.
Helping
Your Child to Read
Activities for helping children learn to read.
The Children's Book Centre Online
.
Teachers and librarians are often the first people to put a book in
the hands of a child. This guide is intended for the use of those teachers
and librarians.
RIF Activities - More
ideas for families to try from the people at Reading is Fundamental, a
non-profit organization whose goal it is to foster the love of reading.
Planning a Reading Event
Celebration ideas from NEA's Read Across America
Manitoba Reading
Association
I Love to Read activity ideas and title lists
ALA : Teens
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/tipsenc/tipsencourage.htm
Talk with kids about why they select books they choose to read. Maybe it's one
of these reasons