Plan a pajama party for your young students. Encourage them to come to school in their pajamas and to bring a blanket and pillow. Invite parents and family members to take part in the festivities by dressing in their jammies and bringing along some tasty treats and their read-a-loud skills. Let students get cozy and read some of their old favorites, or introduce them to new heroes and villains. The National Education Association suggests this event can be held during the regular school day or planned as an all-night reading marathon.
Invite your students to dress up as characters from their favorite books. Ask students to introduce themselves as their character, read an excerpt from their favorite book and discuss why it is their favorite.
Get all your students involved in Read Across America by having a class read-a-loud. Before the event, choose a book for the class to read together, and work with the school librarian to ensure each student has a copy. Begin by reading a long portion to the class; then ask students to take turns reading a paragraph or page, making certain each student has a turn. Not only will this activity help your students build their oral language skills, it will give your class a feeling of unity.
Plan reading-centered activities that will appeal to your visual and kinesthetic (tactile) learners. Ask students to act out scenes from a play or story. Let them make sets, props and costumes. For a more low-key activity, entertain younger readers with a puppet show. The NEA suggests also inviting professional storytellers to your classroom.
Use an art activity to take a break from reading. Encourage your students' creativity by asking the class to make a picture book. Give each student a piece of paper, paint, markers and other art supplies. Tell them to draw a picture of anything they like. Put all the pictures together, and challenge your students to turn them into a story.