As teachers, one of our biggest goals each year is to inspire a love of reading. But how do we actually do that? Literacy gurus and researchers tell us it all comes down to finding the right book for our students. But as we all know, that isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Through many years of trial and error, I’ve found a strategy that has proven to be highly successful with my students: a special delivery mailbox! Keep reading to find out more about this fun way to develop your student’s love of reading.
Special Delivery Mailbox for Book Recommendations
I wanted to find a fun way to provide students with personalized book recommendations. To do this, I bought a mailbox and a small table to keep outside of my room. I created several envelopes with a “Special Delivery” label and laminated them for durability.
Throughout the year, I randomly place books in an envelope addressed to specific students. These are books I think they will like based on their individual interests. They are books I have in my room, borrow from the library or order from Scholastic. Each day students are eager to check to see if there is any mail for them. This alone adds a tremendous amount of excitement!
Discovering Your Students’ Interests
Part of the success of this strategy is providing students with books that students are excited to receive, ones that get them engaged in reading. Here are ways I find ideas of what books to recommend to students.
Talk with students
Throughout the year, you gradually learn about students in your daily interactions with them. In these discussions, students naturally share about their home lives, hobbies, pets, favorite things, and other interests. You may want to take anecdotal notes to help remember all the fun facts you learn about them. This will be helpful when identifying books they may enjoy!
Administer Reading Interest Surveys
Every year I always administer reading interest and attitude surveys with my students. The interest surveys tell the types of books that students enjoy reading, any specific books/series they already like, as well as their interests in general. It is important to accept ALL types of reading (graphic novels, books you feel are below their reading level, etc) as it all provides valuable insights into your students as readers.
This information helps come up with book recommendations specifically targeted to each students’ individual interests. Find out more about administering reading surveys.
After I administer the surveys, I create a master document listing each students’ personal interests as well as any favorite genres, books, authors, etc. I refer to this list to gain ideas of which books to deliver to students in the mailbox.
Scholastic Wish Lists
Another way that I gain additional information on the books students are interested in reading is by giving them Scholastic book flyers. I allow them to shop through the book order forms and circle the books they want. Who doesn’t love creating a wish list? I use their wishlists to select which books to purchase. I make sure to get at least one book on every student’s wish list. (Be sure to use bonus points and select the $1 books when possible!)
At Christmas, I wrote the younger students a letter from the elf asking the students to select books. This just added an extra element of excitement!
When the books arrive, I do not tell the students. Each day I randomly put a book in the special delivery envelope and put it in the mailbox. This builds excitement for the students because they don’t know when it will be their turn to get one of their books. They also are excited because they don’t know which book(s) I’ve selected for them!
Please note: you do NOT have to buy books for students. You can use this method to obtain wish lists from students and then find books in other locations. Some may already be in your classroom library or the school library. You can also check the local library or used book stores.
Keeping Track of Book Recommendations
I use several documents to help me keep track of students’ interests and book recommendations. Each students’ interests and book picks are recorded on a master list. That list is helpful when selecting which book recommendations to deliver to students.
Another list keeps track of book deliveries and helps to make sure that each student is receiving book recommendations. Recording the dates that books are delivered to students helps ensure they all receive book suggestions within a reasonable amount of time.
Love of Reading Success
Delivering book recommendations to my students has truly inspired a love of reading for them. They’ve become so excited about books! One of my 5th graders said, “I love reading now, and that is something I never said before.” They beg me for more time to read and are disappointed when they have to stop reading to go back to class. These are students who previously only pretended to read and were very resistant when it was time for independent reading. A second-grader, who was a very reluctant reader, started to refuse to participate in our review games because she just wanted to read. In fact, she would have even been content to miss recess to continue reading!
My students are truly excited about reading because they feel they have a choice in the books they read. Previously, they would complain that their teachers always tell them what to read and it was never anything that interests them. By making their voices heard and finding books tailored to their individual interests, it has helped to inspire a love of reading for them.
What other methods have you used to help students find the “right” book that have led them to develop of love of reading?
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