Saturday, May 10, 2014

Spark Student Motivation Saturday: Reading Marathon

I'm linking up on this LOVELY Saturday with Joanne over at Head Over Heels For Teaching. You know what that means...Spark Student Motivation Saturday!



We're scheduling our Reading Marathon! I told the kids about this day back in September when we discussed the word STAMINA!!! Basically, we talked about how we need to build our stamina this year in reading and writing. Every year, the Reading Marathon is an entire day of reading that my class goes nuts for! Kiddos come in, wearing pajamas and comfy clothes. They bring blankets and pillows to get cozy for a day cuddling up and reading some great texts! The morning work for that day is to gather materials: at least 3 novels, no more than 10 picture books, a specially designed water bottle labeled "Reading Marathon 2014," a clipboard and a pencil. Next, students get comfortable and settle in. Finally....READ!



Okay, that's not all. That clipboard the kids brought with them? That's for their Reading Marathon Brochure. It had checkpoints, because 6 hours of straight reading is...a lot! So, we take mini breaks. We stop every half hour to answer questions in the brochure about visualizing, word choice, perspective, etc. Check out the Googledoc below!

KIDS LOVE THE READING MARATHON! Even kiddos who don't always love reading love it because they have complete freedom, quiet, and snacks from their awesome teacher. Plus, who doesn't love a day in pajamas?

Reading Marathon Brochure

2 comments:

  1. We could do this in first grade, just not all day. The PJs and snacks would definitely motivate my kiddos!
    Thanks,
    Karli
    Creating a Thoughtful Classroom

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    Replies
    1. Yea, it's a really fun day! I'm debating changing it up this year and going full out marathon themed with sweatbands and workout gear...but I just love cozying up in pajamas!

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