March is National Reading Month, a perfect time to amplify the joy of reading in your classroom! National Reading Month activities offer fantastic ways to ignite a passion for books this March. Go beyond the usual curriculum and make reading exciting and communal with these special engagements.
Encourage students to explore diverse genres, share cherished stories, and celebrate the simple pleasure of reading together. Let’s explore some creative and effective ideas to transform this month into a genuine literary adventure for your students.
National Reading Month activities
Explore these engaging National Reading Month ideas designed to inspire a love of reading in your students below:
1. Classroom book swap
This activity encourages sharing and discovering new books. Students bring in gently used books to exchange, fostering a sense of community and exposing them to a wider range of reading materials. It’s a simple yet effective way to celebrate reading.
Material needed:
- A designated space for book collection (e.g., a table or boxes)
- Optional: Tickets or tokens for the exchange
How to do:
- Announce the book swap a week or two in advance, asking students to bring in books they’ve enjoyed and are willing to trade.
- Collect the books and organize them for easy browsing.
- Decide on an exchange system. Students can simply take a book for each one they bring, or you can use a ticket system.
- Set a day for the book swap where students can choose new books to take home and read.
2. Guest reader day
To further the joy of storytelling during National Reading Month, invite special guests to read aloud to the class. Hearing stories from diverse voices can be highly engaging and inspire students to recognize reading as a valued and enjoyable activity embraced by individuals within their wider community.
Material needed:
- Invited guest readers (e.g., principal, librarian, parents, community members)
- A selection of engaging picture books or short stories
How to do:
- Reach out to potential guest readers and schedule their visits.
- Ask guests to choose a book they enjoy reading aloud.
- On the designated day, introduce the guest reader to the class.
- The guest reader reads aloud to the students.
- Allow time for a brief Q&A session if appropriate.
3. Decorate your door (Book theme)
This creative national reading approach encourages visual engagement where students collaboratively decorate classroom doors with book themes promoting literacy and classroom spirit offering engaging monthly activities.
Material needed:
- Construction paper, markers, paint
- Scissors, glue, tape
How to do:
- Have the class brainstorm favorite books or general reading themes.
- Decide on a design for the classroom door.
- Students work together to create the decorations.
- Display the decorated doors throughout National Reading Month. You could even have a friendly competition for the most creative door.
4. Book character dress-up day
This is among the most exciting activities that allow students to embody their favorite literary characters and encourage engagement in an interactive way to celebrate National Reading Month.
Material needed:
- Costumes or simple props brought from home
How to do:
- Announce a Book Character Dress-Up Day.
- Ask students to choose a character from a book they have read and come to school dressed as that character.
- During the day, have students share who they are dressed as and why they chose that character. You could even have a parade or a sharing circle.
5. Reading bingo
To encourage students to explore different genres and reading experiences during National Reading Month, completing various reading challenges and marking them on a Bingo card helps broaden their reading horizons in a game format.
Material needed:
- Reading Bingo cards (with prompts like “Read a non-fiction book,” “Read a book by a new author,” “Read outside”)
- Markers or stickers
How to do:
- Provide each student with a Reading Bingo card.
- Explain the different reading challenges on the card.
- As students complete a challenge, they mark the corresponding square.
- Offer a small reward for students who get Bingo (a line or a full card).
6. Create a comic strip of a book scene
To blend reading comprehension with artistic expression during National Reading Month, students choose a scene from a book and retell it in the format of a comic strip, focusing on key plot points and character interactions.
Material needed:
- Paper divided into comic panels
- Markers, colored pencils
How to do:
- Have students choose a favorite scene from a book they are reading or have read.
- Explain the elements of a comic strip (panels, speech bubbles, illustrations).
- Students create a comic strip retelling the chosen scene, including dialogue and visuals.
- Have students share their comic strips with the class.
7. Design a new book cover
To encourage critical thinking about a book’s essence, this cover design task prompts students to consider its themes and characters through engaging activities.
Material needed:
- Blank paper or cardstock
- Markers, colored pencils, paint
How to do:
- Have students choose a book they have read.
- Discuss what makes a good book cover (engaging visuals, title, author).
- Challenge students to design a new cover that they feel better represents the book.
- Have students present their new covers and explain their design choices.
8. Book recommendation station
Fostering peer recommendations and helping students discover new reads, this national reading setup with a sharing station for favorite books encourages a reading culture within engaging monthly activities.
Material needed:
- A designated table or bulletin board
- Paper slips or sticky notes
- Pens
How to do:
- Set up a “Book Recommendation Station.”
- Encourage students to write down the title and author of a book they enjoyed, along with a brief, spoiler-free recommendation.
- Students can then browse the recommendations to find new books to read.
9. Read-aloud marathon
A “read-aloud marathon” celebrating shared listening during National Reading Month offers engaging ways for various people to share stories showcasing fun activities.
Material needed:
- A chosen book or collection of stories
- A schedule of readers
How to do:
- Select a book or story to be read aloud.
- Create a schedule of readers, assigning time slots.
- Throughout the day (or a designated period), have the scheduled readers take turns reading aloud to the class.
10. Poetry reading and writing
While not strictly prose, poetry is a vital part of reading. This activity introduces students to different forms of poetry and encourages them to write and share their own poems, fostering creativity and an appreciation for language.
Material needed:
- Examples of various types of poems
- Paper and writing utensils
How to do:
- Read and discuss different types of poems (e.g., haiku, limerick, free verse).
- Analyze the elements of poetry (rhyme, rhythm, imagery).
- Encourage students to write their own poems.
- Organize a poetry reading where students can share their work.
11. Blind date with a book
Adding surprise and encouraging new genre exploration, this National Reading Month idea involves wrapping books for selection based on intriguing descriptions rather than covers offering engaging activities.
Material needed:
- A selection of books from your classroom library or the school library
- Wrapping paper, brown paper bags, or similar materials to cover the books
- Markers or labels
How to do:
- Choose a variety of books and wrap them so the covers are hidden.
- On the outside of each wrapped book, write a short, enticing description (without giving away major plot points or spoilers). For example: “A fantasy adventure with a brave heroine,” or “A funny story about friendship.”
- Display the “blind date” books.
- Students can choose a wrapped book based solely on the description.
- After reading, students can discuss their “date” with the book – did they enjoy it? Would they have picked it otherwise?
12. Create a book spine poem
Interacting with books visually and poetically in a fun creative way, this activity involves students stacking books so their spine titles form a poem.
Material needed:
- A collection of books with interesting and varied titles
How to do:
- Gather a collection of books.
- Challenge students to arrange a stack of books so that the titles on their spines, when read from top to bottom, create a poem or a short, meaningful phrase.
- Encourage creativity in their word choices and the message they convey.
- Students can share their book spine poems with the class by showing their stacks and reading the “poem” aloud.
13. Literary scavenger hunt
To encourage active engagement with books and the library this National Reading Month a literary scavenger hunt guides students using clues about titles authors or genres a set of engaging activities.
Material needed:
- Prepared clues (written or visual)
- Books or access to a library
How to do:
- Create a series of clues that lead students to different books. Clues can be based on titles, authors, genres, or even specific passages.
- Students can work individually or in small groups.
- Provide a list of clues and instruct students to find the corresponding books.
- Once a book is found, students might need to answer a question about it or note down a specific detail.
14. Book tasting
This engaging activity allows students to “sample” different genres and authors in a fun, low-pressure environment, much like a wine or food tasting.
Material needed:
- A selection of books from various genres
- Tablecloths, small signs with genre names
- Optional: “Tasting notes” sheets for students
How to do:
- Select a variety of books and arrange them on tables, grouped by genre.
- Give each table a sign indicating the genre (e.g., Mystery, Fantasy, Biography).
- Students rotate through the tables, spending a few minutes “sampling” each book by reading the cover, back blurb, and the first page or two.
- Optionally, students can jot down their “tasting notes” – their initial impressions of each book.
15. Create a book trailer
Blending literacy with technology during National Reading Month, students creatively produce short video trailers for their favorite books, aiming to entice their peers to discover new reads.
Material needed:
- Tablets or computers with video editing software (even simple apps work)
- Props, costumes (optional)
How to do:
- Students choose a book they want to promote.
- They plan their book trailer, deciding on key scenes or themes to highlight without giving away spoilers.
- Students film their trailer, which can include acting, narration, music, and visuals.
- They then edit their footage into a short, engaging video.
- Trailers can be shared with the class or the school.
Conclusion
National Reading Month activities are a great way to inspire a love of reading and build positive reading habits in your classroom. By keeping activities interactive, social, and fun, you create an environment where books are valued and reading becomes a joyful part of daily learning.
These ideas can be tailored to suit your students’ needs and interests. To support deeper understanding, explore our engaging reading worksheets—perfect for helping students build essential thinking and literacy skills throughout the month.
