Reading Activities

(The following are reading activities that have been submitted by teachers from Morrill Public Schools. They are listed in alphabetical order. New ideas will be added to the list as teachers find new activities that work in their classrooms.)

 

ABC Brainstorm

Before having your students talk about a major topic, it’s essential to activate their background knowledge about it. One way to do this is the ABC Brainstorm. The idea is meant to be fairly simple. Students try to think of a word or phrase associated with the topic, matched to each letter of the alphabet.

Topic: any reading material

Materials needed: make a printable sheet of the letters of the alphabet, or have students list all the letters of the alphabet down a sheet of paper, leaving room beside each letter to write out the rest of a word or phrase

This activity may be done in groups or individually. After reading an article, in no particular order, students should begin filling in the blanks beside each letter of the alphabet, thinking of, as many words as they can that could be associated with the topic.

 

Cooperative Reading

Team Roles: readers, recorder, encourager, and observer

Materials: reading, paper, pencils

Divide the class into teams. The team reads the story together. After reading, the group brainstorms and writes three questions to ask the class. They must know the answers. Write the questions on paper. Questions are either asked and answered orally or written. Questions may then be passed to other teams.

 

Fact/Non-fact

After students read a chapter or section, have students create two to four statements. Two of the statements should be true and two statements should be false, but no outrageous. Students could be allowed to do this activity in groups or pairs for the first time and then apply what they have learned individually. Encourage students to try to “trip up” the rest of the class with their statements. This will motivate them to read and listen more carefully.

 

Jig-saw Reading

Students get into small groups to read. They read their section together. The small groups then gather into large groups with one or two people from each small group. Each person shares what he or she learned from their section with the large group.

 

K -W- L

K-W-L is a 3-column chart that helps capture the Before, During, and After components of reading a text selection.

1. On the board, overhear, or handout, draw 3 columns.

2. Label Column 1 K, Column 2 W, Column 3 L.

3. Before reading, students fill in the Know column with everything they already know about the topic. This helps generate their background knowledge.

4. Then have students predict what they might learn about the topic, which might follow a quick glance at the topic headings, pictures, and charts that are found in the reading. This helps set their purpose for reading and focuses their attention on key ideas.

5. Alternatively, you might have students put in the middle column what they want to learn about the topic.

6. After reading, students should fill in their new knowledge gained from reading the content. They can also clear up misperceptions about the topic which might have shown up in the Know column before they actually read anything, Did I Know it or not?

 

Opinion-Proof

The basic idea is that an opinion can be put forward, but it should be a supported opinion, based on ideas, facts, or concepts found within the material being studied.

Two columns are set up for the basic Opinion-Proof chart. Label the left column “Opinion”/. Label the right column “Proof”. Whatever opinion the teacher assigns or which students choose themselves is written in the left column. Then, support for that opinion is called from the text and written in the right column.

 

Pair Share

Divide the class into pairs. Assign each group a reading. One person reads a paragraph. After the paragraph is read, the partner tells what has just been read. Alternate roles until the story is completed.

 

Popcorn

Have students read the article. Call on one student to share a fact from the story. Then he/she calls “Popcorn to ___________” to pick the next student to share a fact from the story.

 

Predictions

Share some part of the story to be read, or look at the pictures. Have students make ‘predictions’ of what the story is about or the outcome of the story.

 

Retelling a Story

Team Roles: reporter, checker, facilitator, and an organizer

Materials: 4 sheets of paper, 6 pieces of construction paper

Goal: After the task is completed, the story will be retold.

Divide the class into groups. The teacher will write on cards the names of famous fairy tales. (Substitute the fairy tales to other famous stories, people in history, etc.) Each team will select a card and begin the retelling of the story. Each student will write two sentences about different scenes of the fairy tale. After the sentences are written, the team determines the sequence of the sentences. Then each sentence is written on a separate sheet of construction paper and illustrated. Assemble the construction paper into a book. Design a cover for the book and give credit to the team.

 

Round Robin Questions and Answers

Team Roles: leader, encourager, writer, and observer

Each student has a text. The teacher assigns the material to be read silently or aloud as a group. After reading, the leader goes to the teacher and receives 3 envelopes, one for each team member. There is a different set of comprehension questions in each envelope. Each member completes his/her set of questions and then presents the answers for review by the group. When the group is satisfied with all answers, the sheets are taped together and signed by everyone.

Observer: Has a sheet for each team member with the following questions:

            1. How did I help my group to be successful?

            2. Did I ask questions in my group?

            3. Did I offer answers?

            4. Was I careful not to put-down another person’s answers?

            5. How did we decide which answer we would choose for the question?

            6. Were we careful to encourage rather than criticize?

 

Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt of questions for students to answer when reading through a section of a textbook. Students can work in groups or pairs, reading aloud and helping each other locate the answers. Alternative for older students: Have students read through a section as a group, pairs, or individually and create their own scavenger hunt questions. Compile the questions for the entire class to complete.

 

Sequencing

After students read a chapter about a scientific procedure, math equation or historical time period, give students(or groups) an envelope with the events, steps, etc. on slips of paper. Have students close their books and put the events/steps in correct order.

 

Shared Resources

Team Roles: reader, writer

The reader has a story or article. The writer is given a list of questions or words that are to be looked up in the story. The two work together as a team and then sign the paper.

 

Story Wheels

Story Wheel is a reading activity designed to help students practice sequencing skills, summarizing a novel, visualizing story elements, and recognizing story structure. It can be used at any grade level.

Material required: story, book, or reading, writing and coloring utensils, scissors, glue

Concepts Taught: sequencing, summarizing

 

Directions:

1. Trace a LARGE (3 feet in diameter) circle onto colored paper. Cut it out and fold the circle to make eight segments.(pie pieces) Also cut a small circle (6 inches in diameter) from the same paper.

2. Trace another circle (2.5 feet in diameter) onto white paper. Cut it out and fold it into eight segments. Cut apart the segments.

3. Repeat the above two steps to make enough sets for the number of groups into which you will divide your students.

4. Divide the class into small groups, about 4-6 students each. Assign a story, book, or reading to the group to read.

5. When the groups have finished their assigned reading, have them list the important events in the story on a sheet of notebook paper. Emphasize that events should be chosen from the beginning, middle and end of the story.

6. Next have the students narrow the list of events to the eight MOST important.

7. Once their choices are acceptable, have them write the events on the white paper segments, across the widest portions. Make sure they place a number in front of each sentence or phrase, indicating the order of the events.

8. (Optional) Next the students should draw an illustration on the white piece below their sentence to accompany the event.

9. Next glue the white pieces onto the large colored circle, centering the white piece on the colored segment.

10. Write the title and author on the small 6 inch circle and glue it onto the center of the wheel, over the white pieces’ points.

11. Have each group share its Story Wheel with the whole class.

 

Trivia

Read a story and have a trivia contest. Divide the class into groups. Have all groups list as many facts as they can in three minutes about the subject covered in the story.

 

Word of the Day

Write a word of the day on the board for students to read and memorize. Before reading, say the word aloud with the class. Have the class say the word aloud together. Instruct students to keep an eye out for this important word during reading. Erase the word off the board.