5 Sneaky Ways to Engage Your Students with Stories and Books!

Do you remember learning to read? I am a very lucky girl – I don’t.

What I do remember is lying in bed with my Read it yourself Ladybird Book, reading to my mother. I was so intrigued with the images of Cinderella. They were different to the usual ‘soft’ images. They were almost digital (in a pre-digital time!). I grew up in a house full of books and enjoyed reading stories about The Famous Five, Mr Twiddle and The Faraway Tree……

I remember my kindergarten teacher writing a sentence on the blackboard (yes, a blackboard, using chalk!) and asking “Who can read this sentence?” I was the only student who put up my hand. The sentence contained the word ‘book’! I delightedly received FIVE, star stamps on my hand.

Some students are not so lucky; they don’t have access to the wonderful books I did as a child. Some children struggle to learn to read, it is not an easy process for them. As teachers, we have the opportunity to provide students with experiences so that they will want to read, write and tell stories.

Have you ever heard adults say, “He/She is just not interested in books.” I refuse to accept this! More likely, the child simply hasn’t been exposed to reading in a creative and engaging manner.

Here are 5 methods to engage students with stories and books.

1. Use string.

(Yes, use string to tell stories – try it!) Tell a story as you weave and twist some string around your fingers. Children sit mesmerized as the story evolves and eventually a picture is created.  There are plenty of string stories to find on the internet – or you can make up your own.

Here is a great one to start:  How to Tell a Simple String Story

(A quick heads-up – you will need to practice your string weaving prior to going public with it!)

2. Dress up as a character from the book.

A teacher friend of mine read a book titled, ‘My Neighbor is a Fairy’ to a group of 4 year olds. The images include rock fairies, so she dressed up as a ROCKY FAIRY. The kids LOVED it! She used props including rock fairies that she had made and some paper plate puppets.

Here is a photo of her, her prop basket, the rock fairies and the book she read…

The students were captivated.

3. One sentence, one question.

This activity is a favorite of mine! In this method, the class makes up a story together. The teacher writes the first line of the story. The students read the sentence and then ask a question. The teacher answers the question in the next sentence. The students then read that sentence and ask another question and so forth. It could look something like this:

Teacher writes: Once upon a time there lived a T- Rex who was covered in spots.

Student: Why was he covered in spots?

Teacher: Long ago a witch had cast a spell on him, covering him in spots.

Student: How did he break the spell and get rid of the spots?

Teacher: In order to get rid of the spots he would have to find the special magical lake and go and have a swim.

Student: What color was the lake?

Teacher: This lake sparkled a brilliant red color under the sun.

Student: How did the lake turn red?

Teacher: A kind-hearted witch with a red cloak and a red wand had cast a spell on the lake to help the animals covered in spots.

So we end up with a creative paragraph with interesting detail…..

Once upon a time there lived a T- Rex who was covered in spots. Long ago a witch had cast a spell on him, covering him in awful itchy spots. In order to get rid of the spots he would have to find the special magical lake and go and have a swim. This lake sparkled a brilliant red color under the sun. A kind-hearted witch with a red cloak and a red wand had cast a spell on the lake to help the animals covered in spots.

Not only are students engaging in creating stories but they are also formulating and asking questions.

This activity could also be done with 2 students working together – one the reader and questioner, and one the writer. Or they could both be writing and asking each other questions about their stories. A classroom assistant can work with a struggling writer. The options are endless…

4. Visual Literacy

Visual literacy explores how meaning is made in still and moving images.

This can include the following text types: non-fiction, textbooks, picture books, art, advertisements, posters, graphic novels, comic strips, animations, film clips and web pages and more. (Visual Literacy)

One book I particularly loved exploring with my class was Window, by Jeannie Baker (Walker Books). Some adults believe picture books with no words are for young readers. Not so. The messages conveyed through these images, one being humans’ detrimental footprint on  the earth, demand a heartfelt reaction by the reader.

Every child in the class voiced an opinion on the book and spent much time engrossed in analyzing the magnificent collage images.

5. Of course there are the online stories read by famous actors and actresses. These are very entertaining, some of them using music and movement to engage the viewer.

You can find these at: Story Online

If students are engaged, interested and enchanted they will be reading, writing and telling stories without realizing they have done some ‘work’!

Ann-Maree

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