Kids are visual these days. Their phones are video enhanced, their games are action packed, and of course, they are glued to computers and televisions. So how do you make reading fun? As you read a book or short story, build the scene in your reading class. This will take some logistics, props and room to do it all, but it will be an engaging way to get the kids to interact with reading.
This may be easiest with a short story because you can make it a class project to turn that story into a play. Every class has that kid who wants to be a famous writer, so assign “playwright” duties to him or her. It may be a group of kids who do it. Once you’ve got your play, you can have a set designer group, costumers, and actors and directors. Now make the class act out the short story. Allow them to have play rehearsals where they have to discuss the best way to do the scene. As they work through this, steer discussion to things like what would motivate the character to say a certain thing, or ask why the author would have created the scene a certain way.
These kinds of activities are excellent for improving reading comprehension. The students can better grasp the concept of theme as they turn the story into their own play or even video. As they come to understand how everything has to go together and make sense, they’ll come to understand how everything they read has to do the same thing. The project will be difficult, but it should also make reading fun for your classroom. They’ll definitely be talking about it beyond your lesson plan. Likely, they’ll also be spending more time with the story as they seek to make the play as perfect as possible. If the project has promise beyond an interpretation of what they are reading, then present it to the school. Let your kids be reading stars.