Is story time making you want to pull your hair out? Check out these easy tips to make story time engaging for your learners. Being in an elementary school the last 5 years I have picked up some tips to help teachers keep their students engaged while story time is happening.
Popsicle Sticks
When reading a book I will print out photos that go along with the story. When we come to the carpet to listen to the story students receive a popsicle stick with a photo. This is a great time to take data on goals for requesting, sharing, turn taking, and more.
Stuffed Animals
Use stuffed animals that go along with the story for the students to hold on to and mimic actions of the story. I usually put an email out to all staff asking if they have any animals that work with the story I am reading. Many are gracious enough to let me borrow them or donate them to my classroom.
Interactive Boards
Printing out a board that has pieces to represent portions of the book keep the students engaged. This will help them actively pay attention and eagerly await their turn. Interactive boards can be for individual students. You can also make a large poster sized one to use as a class set or example for students to follow along. Interactive boards can also be digital. They can be made into Boom Cards, Google Slides etc.
Examples:
Mrs. Wishy Washy – Students had a their own boards to put the animals in the mud and then in the tub to get clean.
Pete the Cat – Students have Pete and change the color of his shoes to go along with the story.
The Old Lady Books – We had small pieces and turned a tissue box into her mouth!
These are just some simple ways to incorporate interactive and engaging ways to make story time more fun. If your learners are older check out this blog on differentiating reading work for students.
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