Getting Kids Engaged in Reading - Darby

One of my favorite ways of getting kids engaged in reading is by sharing with them about what I am reading and entering into casual conversations about books they are reading or might interest them.

About two weeks into the school year this year, I asked my class to help me organize my classroom library. I am new to the school and am completely unfamiliar with the library in my classroom and hadn't had time to go through and sort them into bins or even organize the shelves. At first I was feeling that the exercise was a total mistake. Students had pulled all the books and had piled them up all over the desks and the floor. It was loud and messy! But I started to hear conversations between students about genres or noticing books they had read before. There was interest and excitement in the voices. One student came up to me with a copy of Where the Red Fern Grows and asked me what genre it was. I sighed. This is one of my favorite books to read aloud and I cry every time. I started to tell the student a little about the book and how I cried. Said I would probably put it under realistic fiction, but instead of going back to the shelf, the student asked if she could put it in her desk instead so she could read later. Of course! I then proceed to circulate between the groups, picking up books, answering questions, and talking about the different books I had read. More and more kids brought me books to ask if they could hold on to them for their reading. It was a wonderful, organic experience born simply out of curiosity and exploration.