Schedule a silent reading time where students read a book of their liking. A silent reading period can be established schoolwide in which every day all students read at a certain time for 10 to 15 minutes.
Require reading and writing for all subjects throughout the school. It is often thought that reading and writing is only done in English class. To promote literacy, students should be reading and writing in every course they take. For example, students in a physical education class can write a report about their favorite athlete.
Compare and contrast books to movies in language arts classes across the grade levels. There are a number of books that have been adapted to fit the movie screen. "Romeo and Juliet" is an example of literature that has been turned into a film. Have students read a story, then watch the movie version and then write about what's alike and different between the two.
Have students read more than books. Students should be exposed to magazines, comics and newspapers in ways that are appropriate for the various grade levels. There are a number of activities to promote literacy using newspapers, according to Read Write Think. Have students read the newspaper and pick out the Who, What, Where, When and How of a news article. They should also compare and contrast different sections of the newspaper. For example, compare a sports page to a news page.
Have students make their own books. The book can be an autobiography about their life or they can create a book on another topic. You no longer need a publisher to publish a book. There are a number of self-publishing companies that publish books including "CreateSpace" and "iUniverse." You can also do something as simple as print the book pages out from classroom computers.
Play games. Students don't like to study all the time but they do like playing games. To see if students are staying up on their reading, organize a game of Jeopardy where students answer questions based on the text. Students can compete in teams and receive prizes if they win.
Invite students schoolwide to create their own newspaper. Not only does creating a school newspaper promote literacy, it allows students the opportunity to tell their stories. it also gives them experience in writing an article, editing it and proofing it to get it in the best shape possible.