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 agreat hobbyand funactivity, it can help children improve in many areas of their lives through developingkey transferrable skills. Reading in their native language and English can bring a whole range of benefits. To engage everyone, they mustunderstand the benefits themselves.

Ask your students why it's important and create a mind map of ideas. You may alsowish 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.

Improveslanguage skills

Regular reading develops children’s linguistic skills – it helps them learn goodsentence structure, grammar, vocabulary andimprovesspelling in their own language and in the English language too. Reading aloudalso strengthensknowledge of phonics and improvespronunciationand articulation.

Improves memory

It can help to develop knowledge of phonics and vocabularyrecall and improve focus and concentration– all necessary skills when learning a language.

Cultivates curiosity

Books help kids’ imaginations to growandencourage them to bemore open-minded. Theyhelp us to learn about other cultures and encourage us to think more creatively. Through subtle messages,readingbuildsanawareness of the world in which we live andenableschildren to formtheir ownopinionsand ask questions.

Creates empathy

Stories help to develop children’s emotional intelligenceandempathy towardsothers. Exploringtopics and characters allows them to learn aboutreal-world situationsand think about how they would feelinsomebody else’s shoes. It encouragesrespect for others’ feelingsas well asothercultures.

Reduces stress

It is a great way tocalm 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 connectwith the wider world, cultureand communities.

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

Itmustbe fun,purposeful and relevant

Well-known adaptationscan remove barriers, support and encourage students’ imagination,andsparka genuine interest. Theygive purpose and relevance to the students as most students have watched a movieat some point in their lives and most students have afavorite movieor character.

Let your young learners choose

There are plenty of English Readers to choose from– 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 theirfavorite movieandhave a vote as a class. Get to know your students, find out what interests them, and base yourbook choice around this.

Rewards

To motivate students, theymust know that they aremaking progress. Reward students for their achievements – for example,createa vocabulary wall ora class book chart and give rewardslikeastickerora postcardto takehome.

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 abookmarkis a fun way to get children into the habit of reading more regularly. If they have their own bookmark, then they are more likelyto want to pick up a book and read it. In the activity, the children can make their ownbookmarkbased on theirfavoritebook as well asdraw a picture of theirfavoritescene.

There’s space for them to write about theirfavoritecharacter and any new words they have learned. Thebookmarkthen becomes not only a way tofind your page butitcanalsohelp kids engage in English conversations about the stories and make them feel like they are making progress.

2. Create a mind map

A mindmap is an activity that helps children to understand andanalyzewhat is happening in the book they have just read. Itis a great way to show their understanding of the story clearly. It could also be usedfor doinga short presentation on the book orfor helping towrite a short paragraph about it.

3. Write your own short story

This activity is creative and asks the children to choose theirfavoritereader. They then use their imagination to write a short story about what happens next. They can place charactersin a completely different story of their ownand send them off on a new, exciting adventureor decide what happens next in the original story.

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

4. Create a reading passport

Motivate childrenby 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 andonce 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 theirfavoritecharacter and produce amovieposteron that person. Ask the students to draw a picture andwritekey details about the character, such as name, age, physical appearance and interests. This activity motivates the students as seeing theirfavoritecharacter 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

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  • Students sat at a table with a teacher stood with them interacting with them

    Why don’t my students speak English in class?

    By Silvia Minardi
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Last year, I contributed to a national research project with an article titled “?”. The title originated from a concern expressed by a language teacher involved in the project, highlighting a common challenge faced by numerous language teachers. The difficulty of developing learners’ production and interaction skills is a well-known issue in language education.

    Large and increasingly diverse classes, limited time, and learners’ reluctance to speak in class are significant hurdles. During pair and group work, students often revert to their first language (L1), they lack confidence in speaking activities and end up avoiding all interaction in English. These observations are consistent with recent Global Scale of English (GSE) research findings, which indicate that 52% of English learners leave formal education without confidence in their speaking skills.

    Factors contributing to learners’ reluctance

    Several factors contribute to students’ reluctance to speak English in class. Psychological barriers such as lack of motivation, shyness, low self-confidence, fear of making mistakes, anxiety and concerns about negative evaluation play a crucial role. Linguistic challenges, including limited vocabulary, poor pronunciation, and insufficient grammatical skills, further exacerbate the problem.

    Task-related issues can also hinder speaking, especially when tasks are not well-matched to the learner’s proficiency level or focus more on accuracy than communication. Additionally, the classroom environment may not always be conducive to speaking, particularly for learners who need more time to formulate their thoughts before speaking.

    Positive teacher impact

    Fortunately, teachers can positively influence these intertwined factors. By creating a supportive classroom atmosphere and implementing well-designed tasks that prioritize communication over perfection, teachers can encourage reluctant students to participate more actively in speaking activities.

    Leveraging technology: Mondly by app

    One effective tool that can help address these challenges is Mondly by app. This learning companion is especially beneficial for learners who are hesitant to speak in class. Mondly by app offers over 500 minutes of speaking practice, encouraging learners to use English in real-life situations and tasks that prioritize action and communication over accuracy. This approach allows for mistakes - they are part of the game - thus fostering a positive mindset, which is essential if we want to enhance our learners’ speaking skills.

    AI-powered conversations

    A standout feature of Mondly by app is its AI-powered conversation capability, thanks to advanced speech recognition software. This flexibility helps build self-confidence and allows students to experiment with various production and interaction strategies.

    Comprehensive skill development

    Mondly by app is designed not only for speaking but also to develop all four language skills—listening, reading, writing and speaking—and is aligned with the Global Scale of English. The vocabulary for each topic is selected from the GSE vocabulary database, ensuring that learners are exposed to level-appropriate words and phrases.

    Integration into classroom teaching

    To facilitate the integration of Mondly by app into classroom teaching, three GSE mapping booklets have recently been published. These booklets cater to different proficiency levels:

    • Beginner (GSE range: 10-42 / CEFR level: A1-A2+)
    • Intermediate (GSE range: 43-58 / CEFR level: B1-B1+)
    • Advanced (GSE range: 59-75 / CEFR level: B2-B2+)

    These resources provide practical guidance on how to incorporate Mondly by app into lesson plans effectively, ensuring that the tool complements classroom activities and enhances overall language learning.

    Conclusion

    Encouraging students to speak English in class is a multifaceted challenge, but it is not insurmountable. By understanding the various factors that contribute to learners’ reluctance and leveraging innovative tools like Mondly by app, teachers can create a more engaging and supportive learning environment. This approach not only boosts students’ confidence in their speaking abilities but also fosters a more inclusive and interactive classroom atmosphere.

    Embracing technology and aligning teaching practices with modern educational standards, such as the Global Scale of English, can lead to significant improvements in language proficiency and student engagement.