Motivating children to read English books with fun activities

Nicola Schofield
A child sat on a bed reading a book

Why is reading important??

Apart from being a?great hobby?and fun?activity, it can help children improve in many areas of their lives through developing?key transferrable skills. Reading in their native language and English can bring a whole range of benefits. To engage everyone, they must?understand the benefits themselves.? ?

Ask your students why it's important and create a mind map of ideas. You may also?wish to use some of the points below to start the conversation. Having a common idea that everyone agrees on can help build motivation and engagement in the classroom.?

Improves?language skills?

Regular reading develops children¡¯s linguistic skills ¨C it helps them learn good?sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary and?improves?spelling in their own language and in the English language too. Reading aloud?also strengthens?knowledge of phonics and improves?pronunciation?and articulation.??

Improves memory?

It can help to develop knowledge of phonics and vocabulary?recall and improve focus and concentration?¨C all necessary skills when learning a language.?

Cultivates curiosity?

Books help kids¡¯ imaginations to grow?and?encourage them to be?more open-minded. They?help us to learn about other cultures and encourage us to think more creatively. Through subtle messages,?reading?builds?an?awareness of the world in which we live and?enables?children to form?their own?opinions?and ask questions.?

Creates empathy?

Stories help to develop children¡¯s emotional intelligence?and?empathy towards?others. Exploring?topics and characters allows them to learn about?real-world situations?and think about how they would feel?in?somebody else¡¯s shoes. It encourages?respect for others¡¯ feelings?as well as?other?cultures.??

Reduces stress?

It is a great way to?calm the mind and help us relax and destress. Children can learn to use it as a helpful tool in their day-to-day lives.???

Develops key life skills?

Children develop their confidence, communication, resilience, patience, social skills and connect?with the wider world, culture?and communities.?

So how do we motivate our young learners?(even our most reluctant readers)?to develop a passion for reading??

It?must?be fun,?purposeful and relevant?

Well-known adaptations?can remove barriers, support and encourage students¡¯ imagination,?and?spark?a genuine interest. They?give purpose and relevance to the students as most students have watched a movie?at some point in their lives and most students have a?favorite movie?or character.??

Let your young learners choose?

There are plenty of English Readers to choose from?¨C if the students can choose their own readers, they will likely be more motivated and focused. Choice gives the students power and makes it more relevant to them. Ask your students to choose their?favorite movie?and?have a vote as a class. Get to know your students, find out what interests them, and base your?book choice around this.?

Rewards??

To motivate students, they?must know that they are?making progress. Reward students for their achievements ¨C for example,?create?a vocabulary wall or?a class book chart and give rewards?like?a?sticker?or?a postcard?to take?home.?

?

Here are five practical, fun ideas on how to further motivate your learners and engage them in reading both in and outside the classroom.

1. Make a bookmark?

Making a?bookmark?is a fun way to get children into the habit of reading more regularly. If they have their own bookmark, then they are more likely?to want to pick up a book and read it. In the activity, the children can make their own?bookmark?based on their?favorite?book as well as?draw a picture of their?favorite?scene.

There¡¯s space for them to write about their?favorite?character and any new words they have learned. The?bookmark?then becomes not only a way to?find your page but?it?can?also?help kids engage in English conversations about the stories and make them feel like they are making progress.

2. Create a mind map?

A mind?map is an activity that helps children to understand and?analyze?what is happening in the book they have just read. It?is a great way to show their understanding of the story clearly. It could also be used?for doing?a short presentation on the book or?for helping to?write a short paragraph about it.??

3. Write your own short story?

This activity is creative and asks the children to choose their?favorite?reader. They then use their imagination to write a short story about what happens next. They can place characters?in a completely different story of their own?and send them off on a new, exciting adventure?or decide what happens next in the original story.

Writing stories like this helps young people to explore their ideas, express their creativity and reinforce?sentence structure, vocabulary and grammar at the same time.

4. Create a reading passport?

Motivate children?by giving them clear and achievable goals. Asking them to fill in a passport as they read a new book is a fun way to encourage them.

Each book allows each child to enter a different world and?once they have visited each place, they complete a new page in the passport and receive a stamp.?You could even make this a class competition to see who can fill in the passport pages the quickest.

5. Create a character profile

Ask the children to choose their?favorite?character and produce a?movie?poster?on that person. Ask the students to draw a picture and?write?key details about the character, such as name, age, physical appearance and interests. This activity motivates the students as seeing their?favorite?character in a different context can be entertaining and engaging.

With these simple activities, you can make reading a more enjoyable experience, as well as helping with learning English for kids and developing their overall reading skills.??

Learn about our readers for young learners

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • A teacher sat with students reading

    5 STEAM myths debunked

    By Sarah Hillyard
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) sounds like an overwhelming combination of subjects to teach ¨C and only suitable for expert educators. But the reality is doing STEAM is simpler than you think. Here are 5 common STEAM myths and the truth behind them. We also outline a number of simple activities you try with your students.

    1. STEAM requires a lot of time

    STEAM projects encourage curiosity, creativity and collaboration in the classroom ¨C but they have a reputation for being preparation-heavy and for requiring a lot of teaching time and energy.

    But to get the full benefit of STEAM, there¡¯s no need to plan out a full-blown project that lasts a whole month. In fact, you might integrate just one STEAM lesson into your syllabus. Or a lesson could contain a one-off 10-minute STEAM challenge.?

    Here are some easy, low-preparation challenges your classes can take part in:?

    10-minute STEAM challenges:

    • Winter unit: How tall can you build a snowman using paper cups??
    • Shapes theme: Using five toothpicks make a pentagon, two triangles, a letter of the alphabet.?
    • Bug project: Can you create a symmetrical butterfly?

    2. You need fancy materials to do STEAM

    The biggest misconception is around technology. When you think of STEAM, you might imagine you need apps, computers, tablets and robots to teach it successfully. It¡¯s true that you will certainly find STEAM challenges out there that involve extensive supply lists, expensive equipment, knowledge of programming and robotics.?

    However, in reality, you probably have everything you need already. Technology doesn¡¯t have to be expensive or complicated. It can refer to simple, non-electronic tools and machines, too. Think funnels, measuring cups and screwdrivers, for example. You can use low-cost regular classroom or household items and recyclable materials that learners' families can donate. Toilet paper rolls and cardboard boxes are very popular items in STEAM.

    Here is a low-tech activity you can try:?

    Combine engineering, art and math using cardboard and a pair of scissors

    This challenge involves creating 3D self-portrait sculptures in the using only cardboard. First, teach about parts of the face by observing and analyzing some Cubist portraits (eg, explore Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso). Then have learners cut out cardboard shapes and make slits in them to attach together. They create their self-portrait sculptures by fitting the pieces together using the slits so that the final product will stand by itself. Display the self-portraits and talk about them.

    3. STEAM is targeted to older learners

    Young children are naturally curious about the world around them, and STEAM experiences begin very early in life. They explore with their senses and test their hypotheses about the world, just like scientists do. Much of their play is based on engineering skills, such as building houses with LEGO?? bricks. They learn to manipulate tools while they develop their fine motor skills and their awareness of non-electronic technology. They use dramatic play and enjoy getting their hands full of paint while engaged in art. They learn about maths concepts very early on, such as size (big and small toys), quantities of things, and even babies start using the word ¡°more¡± if they¡¯re still hungry.?

    Check out this simple STEAM experiment to learn about plants and their needs.?

    How do plants eat and drink??

    Have students put water and food dye in a pot. Put a white flower in the water. Ask students to guess what will happen.?

    After a few days, students should check their flowers and observe how it has changed color. They must then record their results. Extend the experiment by asking if they can make their flowers two colors.