Blog 2: Make Reading Fun!

Today in class we went over the book, “If You Give a Pig a Pancake.” I had never heard it before and it was a really cute book. Basically the book it about a pig who gets a pancake and then she wants syrup. After she gets the syrup, she wants a bath. This routine keeps going on until she ends up back at the pancake. This is what you call a circular story. With this type of story, you start in a certain place and have events that follow and end back in the same starting place; like a circle. The book we made in class is a great example of way we can use a circular story. By creating the book, we got to come up with our own ideas, work together as a group and come up with an interesting story. Since we were all in college our example was good because it was about going to college and getting a degree. For a second grader, to incorporate the same idea it would be better to use ideas that would relate to them. Another example of how we could use it in the classroom is to have the students predict what is going to happen next. It is always fun to make a prediction and to see if it comes true. In the book, “If You Give a Pig a Pancake”, after the pig gets all sticky, you could ask “What do you think she will want to do next?”

As I have said many times before, I love to read! I find great enjoyment out of it and it can really relax me. With that said, I want all my future reading students to love it as well. I know that isn’t likely going to happen but a girl can dream. A lot of students really don’t like reading because they don’t think its fun but there are many ways to make it fun. Here are a few examples:

1. If a child is reading with a parent or a buddy, they can “Popcorn Read”. Basically the parent and students or buddy and student take turns reading. When a word gets too hard to pronounce or the child gets really frustrated, they can say “popcorn” and it will be the other person’s turn.
2. Have students partner up and read together. This always makes it more fun.
3. In a classroom, have a variety of books.
4. Have the students’ role play. When they act out the book they may find more entertaining.
5. Teachers can take turns having students bring in their favorite books and read them to the class.
6. Teachers can play “Picture Detective” with the class. The teacher can have students flip through a book and with the pictures describe what they this is going to happen. After the teacher reads the story, they can see how well they did.