Students need to know that reading is a part of their daily lives, and can only be enjoyed when they are comfortable. Engaging them in activities will help them build the skills they need to become better readers.
Reading activities are important to any learning experience. They can be used in class or at home, and they provide a structure by which students will be more likely to stay engaged with reading and practising comprehension strategies.
These activities can be used before, during, and after reading and can be used in a classroom or at home.
In addition to engaging in the reading process, these activities can inspire students to think deeper and have more fun, which leads to greater reading comprehension and deeper understanding.
There are many activities you can get students engaged with reading. Here are some of them:
1. Spark Students’ Interest
One way to do so is by talking about a topic they care about. Reading texts becomes easier when the topic is of personal interest.
Another way is by using the Socratic method in which a teacher asks direct questions and shares thoughts, questions and answers with students, who then respond.
This approach helps engage students in meaningful ways, as it encourages them to think through questions on their own and voice their opinions rather than simply answer test-style multiple-choice questions.
2. Use a Conversational Style of Teaching
You can do this by highlighting topics students know well and asking questions that can spark dialogues and lead to new ways of thinking and learning.
3. Use Lecture-Style Presentations
Lecture-style presentations can also engage students in conversations about the material, whether through questions or answers, encouraging them to share their own ideas and thoughts on the text and the subject matter.
4. Encourage Expressing Opinions
Another way is to ask them questions, but instead of having them answer with one or two answers, ask them to respond with at least three or four opinions on a topic.
That encourages students’ critical thinking skills, e.g., arguments, counterarguments and points of view by provoking opinions that lead to open discussion among classmates.
Takeaway
Today’s students have grown up in an era where it is easy to find entertainment through YouTube, social media, cell phones and other gadgets. This can make reading feel like a chore to children. Even for those who love reading, most of the time it is just not fun enough.
Reading activities are the perfect way to excite students about reading so that they can improve their skills and gain a deeper understanding of what they are reading!
Remember, students (and readers in general) will be more likely to want to engage with a text that’s interesting or that they’ll learn something useful from.
More Easy Activities To Engage Struggling Readers
In addition to the above-discussed activities, here’s a file including more easy activities to engage struggling readers.
Download this file from HERE
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