Interactive - Personal Reading Log

We stumbled across this idea from Ms. Rose, kindergarten teacher and creator of the classroom blog, Ms. Rose's Kindergarten Friends, and thought we'd pass it along! It just might motivate even your most reluctant readers to pick up a book and get reading! Instead of a basic chart where students/parents pen the names of the books they've enjoyed together, Ms. Rose suggests providing your kiddos with an interactive coloring sheet where students get to color in one part of the picture for every book read! This certainly keeps things fun as students watch the picture change throughout the month. [NOTE: Ms. Rose even offers a free download of this particular reading log at her blog, so be sure to head on over to the full post!]

Other ways to spice up your reading log...

• Add a "covert" aspect, inviting students to turn in a book completion slip for every book read in exchange for a letter in a secret message. Students record the letters, in order, on their reading log throughout the month until the full message is revealed. They'll feel like spies as they 'uncover' the mystery!
• Instead of a fully formed picture to color, provide students with a list of drawing instructions to be completed after each successive book. At the end of the month, a whole picture emerges! Not only will your students have the satisfaction of 'unearthing' the image, they'll practice following directions to letter {because the image will certainly look different if they can't follow directions!}.

These are just a few ways you might consider using to motivate your kiddos to read this coming school year!