Building a Classroom Community of Readers

Do you remember that look of excitement and joy on your students’ faces when they discovered “that book” that was the catalyst for their love of reading?

There are so many “A-ha!” moments that I can recall from the classroom—when it was clear that a “spark” had been lit for one of my students. And if you’re like me, you know the feeling of wanting to see that spark happen for every single student in the class.

Here are four meaningful ways to build a classroom community of excited readers.

1. Once curiosity is sparked, we must fuel it.

The secret to inspiring a love of reading for students is to give them access to books they love—and that you love to teach. When students are given the opportunity to discover the joy of reading through a compelling novel or finely crafted poem, it’s something you don’t forget.

Allow your students to spend time in their books, getting to know the characters and closely reading and revisiting sections of the text worth digging into. This empowers readers to know that they don’t have to rush through a story for the sake of getting to the end. You’ll notice that, little by little, your students will uncover the beauty of not only story but of reading itself.

2. Encourage more and even more reading.

Students benefit from frequent and increased exposure to a variety of diverse texts at a range of levels. The more students read and are read to, the more we can help instill a love of reading, build their stamina, and foster academic discourse that values inquiry, open-mindedness, and reasoning. This creates a multitude of opportunities for choice and independent reading for students as they continue on the trajectory of being avid readers.

3. Don’t be afraid to challenge your students.

Stretch your students’ reading abilities by offering a range of texts at different levels of complexity, regardless of their reading level. You may be surprised at how they rise to the occasion.

Encourage students to ask their own questions, such as what they notice and wonder about a text. This is an important step—not only as a natural starting point to help students invest in their own learning, but also as way to key you in to what your students already know, what they are curious about, and the misconceptions or misunderstandings they bring with them to your classroom.

4. Build your community together.

This invitation into their great brains helps you understand how they make sense of the world, sending you all off into a world of discovery and discussion as you build your classroom culture and establish community together. You’ll find your students beginning to savor all of the rewards of reading.

How will you build your community of readers? Share with us your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter and let us know your ideas. To find more information and tips to encourage your students to keep reading, check out our Core Texts and Volume of Reading lists for great books to add to your classroom library.

In Our Classroom Library

Katy and the Big Snow

This month’s #BooksNotBasals featured text, written by Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator Virginia Lee Burton, is a classic tale about a brave little tractor’s perseverance in the face of a small-town blizzard.

Young readers love the twists and turns as Katy, a red crawler, springs into action to save the city of Geoppolis when a massive snowstorm hits the community. “There was a break in the water main… The doctor couldn’t get his patient to the hospital… The Fire Department was helpless… Everyone and everything was stopped … but … KATY!”

Katy and the Big Snow is included in Wit & Wisdom®’s Volume of Reading text list, curated literary and informational texts that educators can leverage for additional classroom instruction. These texts serve as excellent options for independent and guided reading, vocabulary development, and building content knowledge.