March 4, 2014
Any teacher would tell you reading is a part of their daily lesson plans all year long, however, March’s designation as National Reading Month gives teachers and students alike new opportunities to explore reading in a whole new way. Every year, March is dedicated to celebrating the act of reading and attempts to motivate students to continue to read and learn critical reading skills all while having fun. To enhance reading in your school, we’ve set aside a list of ideas that can help you make March a month long celebration.
- Pick a Theme and Set Your Calendar: Having a theme makes it easier to tie all of your reading-related activities together. Once you’ve selected a theme that works, come up with several related activities that highlights reading in a fun and exciting way. You can plan for daily or weekly activites, but make sure to notify your student’s parents – they appreciate having a list of dates they can refer back to.
- Set Goals and Track Reading: Set goals for your classroom and students. Goals may include reading for a certain number of minutes, or reading a specific amount of pages or books.
- “Mystery Caller:” Each week in March, choose a few nights to call students in an attempt to catch them while they’re reading. Let students know the days and times you may be calling, and if a student is “caught,” prepare a “got caught” ticket for them for the next day.
- Reading Month Incentives: We all know kids like and are motivated by prizes, so come up with a prize system for the end of the month where kids are rewarded for achieving their goals. Try including reading related prizes to continue to encourage good reading habits.
- Mystery Readers: Invite parents, principles, or other guests to your classroom and have them read to the class. Let your student’s parents know about mystery readers and schedule days throughout the month where they are able to come in.
In addition to your classrooms, having a well-equipped school library is vital in encouraging students to read. In order to optimize the effectiveness of your classrooms and libraries, it is important to use your space efficiently and make sure you are equipped with the proper furniture and materials.
Here at Nickerson Corporation, we pride ourselves on providing quality school furniture and are here to help ensure your buildings are up to date with the latest trends in furniture supplies. Matched with some of the top manufacturers, our products include library shelving and furniture such as desks, chairs, cushioned seats, and more.
If you’re looking to update your classrooms or library, contact us at 631-666-0200 today.