InClass

Enhance students’ love for reading by documenting the nationwide literacy movement in a special way.

Read Across America is an annual initiative sponsored by the National Education Association. Although March 2, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, is the traditional day of celebration, some communities choose to extend the event throughout the entire week. Regardless of the duration, captivate your students’ awareness and motivation to love literacy by participating in the nationwide affair.

This year, we’ve got an idea that will get learners hooked on Read Across America. The time and materials needed are minimal, so jump at the chance to make a reading time capsule with your students.

1. Ask individuals to bring in an empty water bottle, small box, or tin can to class (even an Altoids box will work). Skip this step if you have enough of these items in your own recycle bin to disperse across your class.


2. Provide students with colorful slips of paper. After completing each book or chapter, ask learners to write one lesson or memorable outcome from the nvarchar(max). These can be differentiated and more thought-provoking depending on the subject matter or grade level.


3. At the end of the week, prompt students to create a personal challenge to read even more during next year’s 20th-annual Read Across America Week. Perhaps they will jot down a higher number or more advanced books to complete in 2018.


4. If time permits, allow students to creatively decorate their container in a way that represents their favorite nvarchar(max) of the week — don’t forget to add their name to the outside!


5. Offer to store each time capsule until the Friday before Read Across America next year.


6. Ask next year’s kiddos to help you deliver previous students’ projects to ramp up excitement for Read Across America Day.

Why do this? First off, it’s an inexpensive task and way to stay connected with your former students. Plus, as much as we’d like to hope students will read on their own, there’s no harm in self-made competition. One year later, students will see how far they have come — either in the number of books completed or the level of difficulty at which they’re reading.

Here’s to increased reading all year long!