Combining Common Core and Read-a-Thons
Read-a-Thons are an easy way to get your students excited about reading, both in the classroom and at home. They can also be used as a tool to make Common Core reading standards more fun for your students. If you’re struggling with incorporating the new reading regulations in your classroom, here’s how a Read-A- Thon can help.
Read-a-Thons breed friendly competition, which is motivation for your students to read more. Use this as an opportunity to encourage them to venture out of fiction books.
Readafun or (including Read-A-Thon Fundraisers) incorporate comprehension questions that are aligned with the Common Core reading anchors—these come pre-loaded with the program and you can write your own questions as well. For example: 'Compose a 'Tweet' that explains the main message of this book. Remember Tweets can't be more than 140 characters.' This question is aligned with the 2nd reading anchor, and is for 5th graders. Students choose a few of these to answer when they finish each book, which takes some of the Common Core work off your plate.
You can create genre-specific levels throughout the Read-a-Thon to focus on literature from each important Common Core segment. For example, students must choose a story from around the world during week one, a drama week two and a U.S. historical document week three.
Find more Common Core tips at our teacher’s blog.