How To Encourage Reading In Your Classroom
Read to your students at least twice a day. Choose quality texts to share. Read during crunch and sip, once in after recess or lunch or last ten minutes of the day before departure.
Let them see you reading. At quiet reading time, pull out a book and read.
Have a reading corner or a bookcase with books for children to read - swap the books up regularly either from the library or your own library. Make it a sacred space; include cushions, reading posters, books…
Allow your class to choose their own books from the library for a class bulk loan to add to Classroom Library.
Encourage borrowing at the library.
Give books as rewards, prizes, and end of year gifts.
Hold a book swap twice a year. Children can bring in their preloved books and swap them for another.
Find out your students favourite authors and share books often from these authors.
Introduce the 'five finger rule'. When they are reading if they don’t know a word they put a finger up. If by the end of the page they have all five fingers up the book is too difficult for them, so they should swap it for another.
Organise a book fair at your school.
Have a guest teacher/parent/principal come to the classroom to read for 5 minutes. Organise this as a weekly event.
Use stories read aloud online to mix it up
Hold a lunch bookclub once a week
Have the library open at lunchtimes so it is free for children to access
Give roles of library monitors as a weekly job in your classroom.
Encourage students to read all types of texts - include non fiction, jokes, poems, picture books, magazines, comics, chapter books, chapter books
Some great books that my classes have loved include -
Tashi by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg.
Roald Dahl books,
Julia Donaldson books,
Pamela Allen or Pat Hutchins for the younger kids
Morris Gleitzman is a great author,
Paul Jennings has funny short stories which will get the kids laughing.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
The Indian in the Cupboard Lynne Reid Banks
Do you have any great ideas to encourage your students to read? What works for you? Do you have a favourite author or series you like to share with your class each year? Feel free to add to the conversation below.