Activities that Inspire Learning

READ-O
A fun way to encourage students to read various genres of books is to play READ-O. READ-O is similar to Bingo in that each child has a game board and needs to get five in a row to win. The squares on the READ-O board represent different genres: Mystery, nonfiction, science fiction, biography, and historical fiction. When a student finishes reading one of the READ-O genres, he or she fills out a book log and conferences with the teacher about the book. The conference is a brief discussion about the book to ensure the student understood what was read. After the conference, the student can put a sticker or stamp on one of the squares of the game board that corresponds to the genre he or she has completed. Once five stckers in a row have been placed on the READ-O board, the student receives a prize. The prize may vary. If the teacher does monthly book order from various book clubs, one suggestion is to allow the child to pick a free book from that month's book order. Another suggestion for prize might be extra time at the library. Tip: It is a good idea to keep the READ-O game going for at least two terms to allow enough time for students to do the reading. If time is limited and conferencing is not an option, simply filling out the book log will be sufficient. Hanging the READ-O boards in the classroom or hallways is an easy way to keep track of students' progress.