One of the key parts of third grade reading that is never talked about is reading engagement. Reading engagement is one of the keys to success when it comes to reading comprehension, test scores, and more. If students LOVE to read, they will succeed in reading. You want to send your third graders out of your classroom with a love for reading. If you don’t, you missed the point.
What is missing in reading instruction nowadays…
Reading instruction nowadays is focused on passing the reading test and not sending out lifelong readers, but we can break that trend. We can send our students away loving to read and becoming lifelong readers and guess what? They can still pass those tests!
Reading Engagement
When reading becomes boring to a reader, they don’t buy into all the skills and things they need to learn. Making sure that you are thinking about why reading matters and why you want your kids to learn these new skills is the start. Make your lessons more hands-on and engaging. Let your students create, dream, and really think about the text that they are reading.
Want to work on making your lessons more engaging? Join me for the five day reading email challenge below!
Friendly Reads
Friendly Reads: when two students read the same book together and chat about it.
Do you have that student who doesn’t seem to be finding a book they love or reading any chapter books? Well then, this reading engagement strategy is for you! Grab that student and one of their besties and have them read the same book together! Reading the same book really promotes them to want to read together and then giving them a time to discuss that said book can help their reading skills.
When they are done reading you can have them do a book project together!
Read more about friendly reads here!
Novel Studies
Children LOVE LOVE LOVE novel studies. If you do a novel study in your classroom I can promise you that reading engagement will skyrocket. Plus, you get to teach your students so many reading skills, practice comprehension, and do fun activities!
For a novel study, we always read 1-2 chapters a day, practice a skill, take quizzes every so often, and do book projects!
You can read more about how I run novel studies here!
Book Clubs
Books clubs are a mix of a novel study and a friendly read. Students are reading the same book with a group of students. Every time they read they will be completing a role that requires them to use their comprehension skills to analyze the text that they just read. Then, they come together and do a discussion over those parts before jumping into the next reading assignment. Book clubs are a great way to promote a love for reading and reading engagement.
Challenges
Reading challenges are a great reading engagement activity. Challenges are where students read several high interest and highly rigorous passages and analyze them. The way to make this engaging though is to make them work towards something, like solving a problem.
For example, in the reading skill carnival challenge (found here), students are working towards earning tickets to play games on Friday. It is a simple way to motivate your readers to really want to practice their reading skills and stay engaged the whole time.
You can find a whole year’s worth of challenges here!
Digital Reading Engagement: Audiobooks
Do you ever use audiobooks in your classroom?! This is a great way to switch up your typical reading instruction and promote reading engagement. Listening comprehension is a great skill that students need throughout life.
EPIC has many free audiobooks and simple searches can find tons of audiobooks. Students can listen to the book and then draw out a summary of the book! They can also listen to the book and then turn it into a picture book. Or they can simply listen and work on the reading skill you are working on that week!
EPIC
EPIC is a free digital reading service that helps students stay engaged in their reading! The books are engaging, there are millions of choices, and they are colorful and fun. Ways you can use EPIC is…
- When you are practicing a skill, you can have students read a book on EPIC and then do a graphic organizer on that skill.
- Students can read a book in a group and do a book project.
- There are chapter books on EPIC so you can do book clubs, friendly reads, etc. through EPIC.
- Center work!
Book Projects
My kids LOVE to read their chapter books during their silent reading time or when they are at home. It is a powerful way for kids to stay engaged in reading what they love. Reading engagement skyrockets when kids find books that they love!
When they are done reading, I sometimes will let them do a book project. They have twenty projects to choose from and then they can present their project to the class. When they present their project, other students instantly want to read their book which adds to more reading in the classroom!
You can read about the book projects here!
If your students love to read, they will succeed.
That right there is enough said.
Join me on a five day reading engagement challenge!
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5 Day reading challenge
The reading engagement sounds wonderful. I am looking forward to implementing strategies. Thank you for you thoughts and time.