My 40 Book Challenge

Do you struggle with getting your students to read? I have some who are in the habit of "pretend reading" or "look like they're reading but aren't." Do they complain, waste time choosing a book, stop along the way to talk with three friends? I've got just the thing for you. 

This year I jumped on the 40 book challenge and I have loved it so far. It's super easy and doesn't cost much with the way I am doing it.

I wanted a way to hold the readers responsible for completing the books they read. So, I found these cute little book reports from Teaching With a Mountain View. These were super short, but effective for showing that students read what they say they did.

Then I saw an idea that she used in her classroom that had students earning different beads for certain books. They kept them on a chain in her classroom. It was the perfect idea, but I knew I didn't want different beads for each type of different book...that was just too much for me to manage, so this is what I am doing instead. 

I recycled an older container with sections into my bead "store." Now when a student finishes a book they can grab a bead to add to their chain. Here's how I am doing mine though. The regular pony beads (colored or sparkle) will be for any regular chapter book. I noticed the students grabbing a lot of little books that are quick reads like Junie B. Jones or books from the Who Was series. So, I decided that I could require more of them for a shaped bead. For those beads, they must read a book above 150 pages. That will not only push them to read things that are more advanced, but they will be able to show that on their chain. I think it will be a fun way to challenge them. 

We are also doing the Book-It pizza program through Pizza Hut, so I am setting a page goal for each grade level (since I teach three grades) and if they meet that, they will receive a certificate for a free pizza as well. 

I find that when students have a visual they that can see or something they can earn, it brings and element of "gamification" into the classroom making the work you want them to do anyway even more fun! How do you bring fun into your classroom?