Being January, I know lots of parents and teachers have resolutions that include getting kids to read more and different kinds of books.
Around our house, one sure-fire way to pique Molly and Anna’s interest in a book is to put it on my nightstand! I usually have quite a stack there…books I plan to read or re-read before handing them over to the girls. Like Harry Potter . It’s been 10 years since I read the first one, and I wanted to do the “scary check” before letting Molly read it. Not a day has gone by that she hasn’t asked me if I’m finished yet. Apparently I’m taking too long!
As a teacher, I had the same phenomena in my classroom. There was this tiny half shelf in the front of the room on which I kept our current classroom read aloud. As soon as a book appeared there, kids would scramble to the library to get their own copy. They enjoyed following along with me as I read, and I thought that was just fine!
Booktalks are another great way to get kids interested in books. A booktalk is usually a fun, teasing summary of a book told with the passion of someone who really liked it. In my class, we often used booktalks as sales pitches for the next round of reading group books.
In my opinion, the best and most convincing booktalks are led by kids. Who doesn’t love those last minutes of Reading Rainbow where the kids talk about books they’ve read? (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the show and you’ll be hooked!)
Booktalks can also be led by adults. Scholastic has some video booktalks , mostly done by Scholastic staff. There’s something similar at Podfeed called Bookwink .
However you do it, whether it is by nightstand, shelf, or booktalk, find a way to sell a book to a reader today!
About the Author
Along with her background as a professor, researcher, writer, and teacher, Joanne Meier is a mom. Join Joanne as she shares her experiences raising her own young readers, and guides parents and teachers on the best practices in reading.
Publication Date
January 6, 2009