Summer Reading Challenge

Today I begin working on my first technology goal: starting a summer reading blog.  With this challenge, I began to think of many questions I have for my upcoming school year.  The most relevant question being: How can I use technology to motivate my kids to read?  Motivating kids to read is something that is very important to me.  The benefits of reading are endless.  However, I still come across children and adults (including my boyfriend, Patrick) who hate to read.  Why would someone hate to read?  Through the children I have taught over the past 6 years, I have found that students who hate to read hate reading for several reasons: 1. It is difficult for them   2.  They have been forced to read books in the past that they find boring  3.  They believe that reading is simply not for cool kids or (adults).  

Reason number one is something that I can work on with them in my reading classroom.  I have helped many a child  find that reading is a fun activity after learning reading strategies or discovering technology that helps them overcome reading disabilities.  However, helping students with numbers 2 and 3 are a little bit more challenging.  As much as I can try to sell books to hesitant readers, I need to recruit the help of technology to help me with this endeavor.  

Take a book like the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.  I just started reading this book yesterday and OMG is it awesome.  I can't put it down.  I rather read this book than be on my smartphone.  That is saying a lot!  How can I engage my students in this book in the fall so that they enjoy it as much as I do?  Here are my ideas: 

1.  Have students research topics in the book (greek mythology) and create a website on it. 

2.  Create a discussion board with engaging questions about the book.  For example:  What greek god would you want to be your mother/father? 

3.  Show kids the movie trailer before reading the book.  When they are finished, have them create their own movie trailer.  

4.  Motivate kids to read, don't force them to read.  Make the book come alive.  If they are absolutely not feeling the book, give them options for reading other books.  

Overall, I think it is part of my job to hook children on books for life.  I will always be grateful to my fourth grade teacher for hooking me!  If you have any suggestions for how to motivate kids to read with technology, let me know.  

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