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My job as a language arts teacher is more than a career for me. It’s a mission! I want my students to walk out of my classroom with a love for reading. Putting a book in front of the child isn’t always enough to get them to read it. I have to use some creative, sometimes sneaky, methods to encourage my students to pick up a book and genuinely care about what it says! Here are some of my suggestions.
Magazines
I get samples of Scholastic magazines often throughout the year. Rather than tossing these aside, I display them in the classroom. I used a cordless hot-glue gun to stick clothespins to the empty spaces on the wall. These wooden clothespins were covered with washi tape to match my classroom decor, but you could just as easily purchase plastic clothespins.
The magazines are switched out periodically. This set up makes it easy for students to grab and go, and makes clean up a breeze.
True story….These magazines are high-interest and contain current news that students love. My students couldn’t resist the Fortnite article in a recent magazine!
Audiobooks
If you haven’t introduced your child (or students) to audiobooks, there has never been a better time! Audiobooks are a valuable resource for students of all reading abilities. Of course, it’s good for non-readers or those who are convinced that they hate reading. It’s a non-threatening way to get kids into a book. Command hooks helpfully hold headphones for students to use when they want to listen to an audiobook. Our school system has an audiobook library, and the students can also borrow audiobooks from the public library. Students who are involved in after school activities such as cross country love being able to listen to an audiobook while they run.
I use Audible for my personal listening library. It’s so easy to have my books at the ready, and I love being able to bookmark the pages, keep notes, and listen wherever I happen to have a few extra minutes. Audible lets you return books when you’re not happy with them, and I’ve taken advantage of that a couple of times. Try Audible and get two free audiobooks with your trial.
True story….My son was a reluctant reader for years. Even as a toddler, he didn’t want to sit still to listen to a story. After we moved and started a long daily commute, he was forced to sit in the car for over an hour each day. He’s in charge of firing up the audiobook each day. It’s been great for our whole family, but especially for him. We’re currently listening to Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows. Audiobooks have been a lifesaver, and now he’s reading outside of that time.
Graphic Novels
Please, please, please. If you see a child reading a graphic novel, I beg you NOT to say anything about reading “a real book.” It IS a real book.
If they’re reading a graphic novel, they’re still reading.
Graphic novels are appealing to many kids, especially when the original book is challenging. For example, The Hobbit might be too long (or boring) for an elementary student, but the graphic novel is a great introduction to the classic story. The graphic novel can be a preview of a longer text, or it might be one way to help students gain a broader reading palate. Some students go on to read the full-length, traditional book after a graphic novel. Some don’t. Either way, if they’re engaged in the story, let them be.
True story…..My daughter resisted reading for years, even though she was able to read several levels above her grade. She finally opened some graphic novels and became interested in longer stories that way. I started asking questions like, “I’m curious, did the graphic novel have the part where XYZ happened?” Of course, it didn’t, and her curiosity got the best of her. She went on to read the full-length books and is now a voracious reader.
Make reading fun, no matter how you present it to the kids in your life! It’s not impossible to get them to read. You just might have to get creative to make it more appealing.
In our time, there was no smart phones, and every home didn’t have a computer. So, we invariably used to end up reading, whether comics, or novels, or magazines. But, now, there is so much stuff competing with books, that number of avid readers around the world is decreasing. As you have shown in this article, it will take extra effort in the part of the teachers and parents to turn our kids towards books. From my personal experience, I can say that reading is addictive, once you get the taste of how you can enter a world in your imagination guided by words of a writer, you become a fan for life. This was a wonderful article. Thanks for sharing!
You are right. Encouraging kids to learn how to read is an advanced learning they will have. With the help of an audiobook, children can learn learning and reading abilities.
My niece is a big fan of graphic novels. Having the Scholastic magazines easily available for your students is a great idea.