Shop Subscribe

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

Classroom must haves for teachers plus essential teacher supplies, lesson plans and activities.

schoolyard-logo
  • Education Essentials
  • Inspiration & Planning
  • Learning Spaces
  • Topics
  • Search
  • < Previous post
    Next post >

    Reading & Literacy
    School Specialty • Aug 16, 2016 • Last Modified: Nov 17, 2017

    Break Through to Reluctant Readers with Irresistable Book Displays

    Teaching a child to enjoy reading is perhaps the best gift you can pass along to a student. When kids see reading as a treat instead of a chore, they are more likely to stretch their limits and read at a more challenging level. While there’s no magic wand you can wave to turn a reluctant reader into an avid book lover, there are ways to make books more appealing to kids. Think of it as marketing: when a kid walks into the toy aisle at a store, products are displayed in a way that’s specifically designed to make them irresistible to youngsters (who in turn badger their parents into buying the hottest new toy). Educators can apply some of these packaging and display principles to books and entice even the “book haters” to check out a great read.

    Give Them What They Want

    Your “product” has to have intrinsic appeal. No matter how nicely you dress up, say, socks, no kid is going to get excited about buying socks. Display books that kids want to read. Provide copies of the latest trending series for your age group in addition to standard classroom canon. Be sure to include a mix of hi-lo (high interest, low reading level) material. These types of books can be just the nudge that reluctant readers need to overcome their hesitation. Many kids who claim to hate reading are actually intimidated by books. They often are not strong readers and may not have a lot of reading support outside the classroom. They see books as something at which they will struggle and likely fail. Hi-lo books offer subjects that appeal to kids with text that makes them accessible. They aren’t vocabulary stretchers, but they can help kids build the confidence to eventually try harder books.

    Show Off Your Wares

    Hesitant readers may be turned off by a boring row of spines on a shelf. Book marketers know that customers are more likely to pick up a book that’s face-out. Children’s book covers are already carefully designed to appeal to their target demographic, so set up a variety of small displays around the room that put those colorful jackets front and center. You can use something as simple as book easels and printed signs or as elaborate as revolving literature racks, depending on your budget. With a few basic guidelines, you’ll have kids flocking to your classroom book displays in no time:

    • Remember that less is more. Kids are easily overwhelmed by too much stimuli, so limit displays to groupings of no more than seven or eight books.
    • Build displays around themes. If you’re doing a unit on folktales, for example, you could set up a display of variations on the Cinderella story from around the world, or pair original fairy tales with their Disney adaptations.
    • Get the kids involved. You could have one rotating display of “kids’ picks” that are decided upon by classroom vote. Or, make “librarian” a classroom job and let a different child curate one of the displays each week.

    Recommended

    Seize Today, Transform Tomorrow: Back to School Planning Starts Now

    Back to School

    Seize Today, Transform Tomorrow: Back to School Planning Starts Now

    Why Books Matter: 3 Steps to Building a Successful Classroom Library

    Reading & Literacy

    Why Books Matter: 3 Steps to Building a Successful Classroom Library

    School Specialty Acquires SchoolKidz to Make Supply Kitting Solutions More Accessible for Education and Non-Profit Use

    News

    School Specialty Acquires SchoolKidz to Make Supply Kitting Solutions More Accessible for Education and Non-Profit Use

    3 Ways to Observe Dyslexia Awareness Month in the Classroom

    Reading & Literacy

    3 Ways to Observe Dyslexia Awareness Month in the Classroom

    Explore The Schoolyard

    Education Essentials

    Inspiration & Planning

    Learning Spaces

     

    TopicsShop Subscribe

    Copyright © 2023 School Specialty, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement · Social Media Statement · Do Not Sell My Personal Information - CA Resident Only

  • CATEGORIES

    • Education Essentials
    • Inspiration & Planning
    • Learning Spaces
  • TOPICS

    • Arts & Crafts
    • Early Childhood
    • Special Needs
    • Physical Education
    • Educational Technology
    • Student Resources
    • Organization & Storage
    • Classroom Management
    • STEAM & STEM
    • 21st Century Learning
    • Reading & Literacy
    • Healthy Students
    • Teacher Life
    • Back to School
    • Celebrations & Seasons
    • Out of School
    • News
    • Math
    • Science
    • Topics
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube