Remember that feeling of a stack of brand-new books from your favorite author, just waiting to have their spine cracked and the words devoured? You know, those books that are good for reading independently while curled up in a cozy spot.
Yeah, me too.
Today’s post comes with actionable advice on how to jump back into independent reading with your students after a long break from school. Because while my idea of a great break is reading through all those new books, I know many of my students have lost their reading momentum. My goal after a break from school is to get students into a new independent reading book, quickly!
I shared some tips for starting independent reading routines a few months ago that you should definitely check out. Here are some new ideas for getting reading routines going again!
Create a fun reading challenge
Spark student interest in their independent reading book with a friendly competition. First, design a challenge with some clear milestones, such as the number of pages read or new genres read. Donalyn Miller is the guru for reading challenges, introduced in The Book Whisperer. Older students love competition, so why not use it to your, and their, advantage to help them get into their next great book?
You know middle school students will ask you what they will get if they complete the challenge. So, add in rewards, such as recognition on a hallway display after each independent reading book is finished or a favorite piece of candy. A new favorite for my students: sitting in my ‘teacher’ chair!
Begin a book club unit
Organize students into small collaborative reading clubs to encourage reading habits, conversation skills, and critical thinking.
I have all the love for book clubs. They are a perfect blend of fast-paced reading while teaching analysis skills, Oh, and they have the added benefit of ‘letting’ students talk often in the classroom! In fact, book clubs is my go-to method for teaching reading units.
One way to start with book clubs is to organize a club around a student-favorite genre. Middle schoolers love to read books that are dystopian, mysteries, or historical fiction. Choose 5-6 titles that fit that genre and give students the chance to preview the books to select their top choices. Then, organize students into small groups of about 4-6 students.
While students are reading those books, you can teach mini-lessons that help them better understand the genre, such as common themes, character development, vocabulary specific to the genre, and connections to our world.
Book club conversations can be focused on predetermined questions that foster discussion or protocols and routines that you have already established, such as Socratic seminar. I use these book club discussion cards routinely to foster student conversation.
Share Your Favorite Independent Reads
Hype up some of the best books in your classroom library that seem to go unnoticed by students. Use a quick 5-minute book talk or a book trailer to share the text with students. I use book talks as a bell ringer to keep the talk short and to build the routine of talking about books.
If you aren’t sure how to get started with book talks, I have the perfect thing for you! This book talk guide helps you plan for engaging book talks with your students, as well as provides you with free book talks to get started right away!
Update Your Book Displays
Changing out the books you showcase can add some engagement and new visual appeal. I use the tops of my bookshelf, the whiteboard trays, and magnetic whiteboard shelves to display books. Bonus tip: display the books you talk about with the students so they are even easier for students to grab!
Here are more ideas for your book displays:
- Display by student favorites from last year or even during the previous quarter
- Showcase teacher favorite reads
- Share about authors and characters that celebrate cultures
- Highlight books for an upcoming genre study
- Display recently added books
- Feature seasonal reads
Ultimately, these methods for getting student into independent reading books and out of their electronic devices work all year long. After a break from school is a great time to intentionally use one of these strategies to help your students find their next favorite book.