Get students excited about reading at home with an adopt a pet reading buddy. Classroom reading pets build students’ responsibility and enthusiasm for reading!
As teachers we know the importance of reading cannot be underestimated. We not only teach students how to read but also try to cultivate a love of reading. We know that reading for pleasure can improve a child’s education, social and cognitive development, their wellbeing, and their mental health and we want all of those things for our students!
One of the many challenges of distance learning is monitoring students’ reading and finding ways to keep motivated to read at home. We wonder (and worry!) about what they are reading and how much they are reading. And while there are many great free reading websites available for students to access from home, it feels too easy for students to lose interest in reading while they are learning from home and away from the reading routines we have in our classrooms.
To help you combat those feelings I wanted to share with you a reading activity that kept my students (of all different levels!) excited about reading! It’s the Adopt A Pet Reading Buddy Kit and it is a great way to help kids stay motivated to read at home!
How does the Adopt a Pet Reading Buddy work?
It’s simple! Students get paired with a stuffed pet that will become their reading buddy! You can purchase a small stuffed animal for them (ideas HERE) or they can choose a favorite animal that they already have at home.
Students will start by filling out some very official and totally adorable “adoption paperwork”! Once the application is accepted, students set goals for how much time they will spend reading with their buddy, and track their progress using the reading logs included in the resource. In addition to reading, students will be encouraged to discuss with their buddy, draw and/or write about what they have read in a variety of different ways.
What’s included?
The resource includes EVERYTHING you will need to set up and manage the pet adoption center! You’ll get an editable letter to go home to parents, pet name tags, two versions of adoption applications, three versions of reading logs, goal setting sheets, a variety of reading response printables and MORE! With all the choices and different versions available, you can be sure students of all levels will be successful and enjoy reading with their pet!
While we don’t yet know what the next school year will look like, I think we can be certain that remote learning will play a prominent role. We’ll need to find creative ways to keep students motivated. The Adopt A Pet Reading Buddy activity is a unique and fun experience for students, and I hope you’ll find it helps your students stay engaged in and excited about reading during their distance learning.
–PIN for LATER–
