Inspiring Reading
Activities, Assignments and Events
In the Classroom
Classroom Atmosphere
MascotEven our classroom mascot gets into the excitement! He has his party hat on to celebrate his favorite day of the week. | Door The door is decorated to greet the students to the room. Even older students make comments as they walk down the hall! | Bright and Cheerful There are different colored Talking Tickets and the kids are excited to get randomly assigned colors. Comments of excitement can be heard when the group gets a certain color ticket! |
Mascot
Even our classroom mascot gets into the excitement! He has his party hat on to celebrate his favorite day of the week.
Door
Create a Model of the Setting
Process One student's work; in the process of making the model cay. | Artistic Many student enjoy the opportunity to express themselves artistically. | Example Model Students create models out of many different materials. |
Create a Suitcase/Pack the Suitcase
The Suitcase Made from a shoebox. | Inside the Suitcase Kids can draw or print the pictures. | Inside the Suitcase The inside was labeled to show what Esther brought to Siberria and what Esther brought home from Siberia. |
QR Code Projects
Version 2: After reading their self-selected book, students create and publish a digital book trailer (Vimeo, We Video, You Tube, etc.). Then students use the free program "Qrafter" to link their published video to a unique QR code which is then printed out. Additionally students can create a flyer which their QR is displayed on. On a selected day students in the class can scan each others' codes to watch the trailers. Flyers and/or QR code printouts can be displayed in the library or classroom for others to scan at any time.


Host a Student Created Book Fair
After reading a book, students create a brochure and poster to promote the book. In the brochure, students inform viewers with the genre, summary, conflict, resolution, characters, and opinion. The poster is hand-drawn with an image from a scene of the book. Include a prop (something you wear, hold, display), and incorporate it into the booth so the audience understands the connection between it and the book. During the “fair”, other students visit booths and the host answers questions and explains the book. Participants can keep a scorecard/bookmark with them when they visit the fair to record books that interest them. Create signage to invite and attract others to the fair.
Comic Strip (Digital Storytelling) Promotion
Create a panel comic strip (using Storyboard That or ToonDoo) about your book. In the panels introduce the book, settings, characters (with specific personality traits), re-enact a critical event from the book which will entice the audience into reading it, a hint toward the conflict the characters will encounter, incorporate a quote from the book, and the closure (genre and how why they should read it).
Other storyboard options are for students to create panels demonstrating vocabulary, grammar, character traits, themes, pivotal events, story structure, timelines, etc.


Black Out Poetry Slam
This starts with students ripping out pages from discarded classroom or library books (always a fun activity for them. They then black out (redact) the words they want to remove, leaving the words that will be read in order. Students then read their new poem to the class with dramatic flair. Vote on a winner.
This exercise can also be used as an assignment, not a contest. Have students create a poem from a character's point of view or experience or create a poem about themselves. Newspapers and magazines can also be used.
Scene It (for book hooks or selections)
As the teacher take a pivotal or important scene from books to re-write into a screenplay version. Assign character roles to a few student volunteers. Include fun props. Give volunteers a few minutes to practice their script and then have them act out the scene. Lastly, reveal the book title, cover, and description.
This can also be done when introducing a class book (for interest) or for book selection.
It can also be done at an individual level where students create the screenplay themselves and bring in a prop for the book they have read. Students place their screenplay title in a hat and other students will draw from a hat to act it out. Then the book is revealed. Participants can keep interest score cards during the presentations.
Flash Fiction: Six Word Memoirs
Possible programs to use: Google Drawing, Glogster, Adobe Illustrator
Selfie Swirl
With the Library
Speed Dating (with Books) or Book Sampling
Set up tables with tablecloths, confetti, fake flowers, etc.) and place a selection of books at each table. Students have a few short minutes to "check out" possible matches and rate them on a score card. After the round ends they can hang on to their book (but can later ditch it at another table if they find a better match) or keep looking. After all rounds are complete every student must leave with a possible match. If there's no "chemistry" with any of the selections they can leave with a book from the "blind date" table (in a wrapped bag) or go online dating (select an ebook). End the event with giving away a hershey kiss at checkout. Don't forget mood music, lighting, and flyers!
Book Parties
Book to Movie Release party
Character Birthday Party (Poe Party, Harry Potter's 13th Birthday, etc)
Pretend Movie Release Party (Hype up the event with related food, movie posters, trailers)
Mini-Oscars for recreating a scene from the book
School-Wide
Read-Off Challenge
Goal: Students collectively earn enough strips to duct tape the principal to the wall.
Class Contest: Log more minutes than an opposing class period or grade. Winning class earns a party or prize. To take part in the party or earn the prize you must individually have read a set minimum amount of minutes
Planning: explanation letter to parents, reading log for students, master log, flyers
Materials: good quality duct tape, platform, yardsticks, prize for winning class
Principal Being Taped to the Wall | All done! The student who logged the most minutes got to take away the platform! | Classroom Signs (minutes updated during the week) |
Pie in the Face Challenge
Note: Please follow safety rules (goggles, no pie tin, just the filling).

Fun Extras
Wonder of the Day Have students be responsible for selecting a "Wonder of the Day" to be written in the spot of the classroom. Another option is to have a "Quotation Rotation." | Recycled Book Art Collaborate with the Art teacher to create recycled book art. Seen here are folded pages with paint on top. | Trivia Contests Hold trivia contests where students locate trivia about events related to a book, the author, or time period. All correct entries are placed in a raffle jar with prizes awarded. |
Wonder of the Day
Recycled Book Art
Collection/Turn In Contests
Cool Picks Display
Choose a time period and as students read books, offer them a fun flyer to fill out that will then be posted around the classroom or on the bulletin board. When students are looking for a book recommendations they can visit the display. For every flyer returned, students get a ticket to be placed in a raffle. Winners receive a prize or reward.
Julie Ungier
M.L.I.S.
Kelley McLaughlin
B.S. Middle School Education (Language Arts and Math)
Reading Endorsement
M.Ed Gifted Education