Who wouldn’t want to have the opportunity to dress up? Many have heard “March is Reading Month.” One of my favorite parts of being a school librarian was inviting our elementary students to participate in a “Reading Week.” Each day, students had a specific way to read or engage with books. If they participated in each one, and their parents confirmed this, then students were able to choose their own book to take home! It was a fun week and many parents shared the excitement with their children.
Many schools do something similar for a full month. Here’s a list ideas for “Reading Week” for you and your children.
Monday: Read a book outside.
Find a place in the shade of a tree, on a porch, on a swing, or any creative outdoor space you and your family choose. Where did you go to read? How does reading outside make you feel?
Tuesday: Read a book in the bathtub or shower (there is no need to turn on the water).
You can make sure it is dry by using towels and then add pillows if you’d like. What other creative locations can you think of to read in?
Wednesday: Read to someone.
Read to a parent or grandparent. If you want to get really creative, read to your pet, a plant, or even a toy. Who did you choose to read to? Why?
Thursday: Wear pins and clothes that have words on them.
You can write a note on paper and pin it to your shirt as well. If you don’t have pins with words, find a shirt or hat with words to wear. You can make this a competition, how many different things can you wear today that have words for others to read? Why do people wear things with words on them? What are your favorite pin/shirt messages?
Friday: Act out a favorite story today.
You can find a story in a book and use it as your script. Are there others in your family who could join in on the fun? You could write your own script, based on a favorite book, if you like. Perhaps you can find some costumes in your house. What type of story will you act out? Who will be your audience? You could have a parent record it and share it with relatives (like grandparents) who don’t live in your area. Why is acting out a story fun?
Saturday: Dress-up like a book character.
Choose a character you enjoy reading about and dress like them. Be creative and use things you already have at home to make your costume. After you are in costume, see if other people in your house know who you are. Now that you are dressed-up, reread that character’s book! How is it different to dress-up like that character and then read their story?
Sunday: Read with someone.
Find someone to read with, perhaps a parent or other family member, and take turns reading a book together. Perhaps you can each read a different character’s lines, or get more people involved. You can have one person be the narrator and others be the characters. Have you ever done a reader’s theater? Now is a great opportunity.
Summary
We know that literacy is important. Let’s find fun ways to share this with young readers. I hope you enjoyed the ideas for “Reading Week” for your family. March is reading month; any week can be Reading Week!
Questions:
What ways have you encouraged children to read?
How did your children respond to Reading Week?
What was your family’s favorite day? What was most engaging about it?
What days would you add to Reading Week?
Educators know that literacy begins in the home.
It is never too soon (or too late) to read with your child. If you want to hear more, please check out my post on this topic: Literacy Begins in the Home.
Books Pictured in this Post:
1. If Jesus Came to Visit Me (2004) by Jill Roman Lord; Illustrations copyright by Ideals Publications (2004); Korean Translation (2009) by Duranno Press Kidz
2. The Herd Boy (2012) by Niki Daly; Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (2012) (Copyright by Frances Lincoln Limited 2012, first published in Great Britain in 2012 by Janetta Otter-Barry Books Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
3. The Story of Saint Patrick's Day (2013) written by Patricia A. Pingry and illustrated by Meredith Johnson; published by Worthy Kids
4. My Life as Dinosaur Dental Floss (1994) by Bill Myers; published by Word Kidz!
