It seems that enthusiasm for reading dwindles as the years go by. Toddlers become enamored with the bright colors and pictures bringing parents or teachers stacks of books to explore over and over. Preschool audiences are captured by the artwork, rhymes, and stories anticipating the arrival of story time in their daily schedule. Kindergartners and first graders, who endeavor to conquer the challenging concepts of letters, words, and sentences, feel pride in their reading accomplishments and are excited to build upon their skills. But unfortunately, for many middle and high school students, reading is simply tedious. Many educators have asked where this breakdown is coming from. With so many other things competing for your students’ attention, it is more important than ever to encourage students’ passion for reading. As with most things in life, this starts young and continues with more fervor as time goes on. Sherri Osborn offers a brilliant idea for keeping your elementary students engaged in literature. She recommends designing a ‘story sack’ for each book or unit. This bag should contain not only the story that is going to be read, but appropriate crafts and games, supplementary books and videos, approved snacks, and anything else you can think of that will inspire your students’ interest and imagination. Osborn provides eleven sample sacks for well-known books targeting ages ranging from two to twelve. If you endeavor think outside the box, your students will learn a new appreciation for books and reading.

Story Sack Index - Make Your Own Story Sack

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