Back-to-school always feels like a whirlwind. New names to learn, supplies to sort, routines to build. In the middle of all that, one of the best gifts you can give your class is a joyful start to reading. When kids see books as exciting and fun right from the first week, it sets the tone for the year.
In this post we’ll share 12 easy ideas you can try. Some are in the classroom, and some are at home with families. All are designed to make the most of the books your students already have in their hands. At Kids Read Now, we’ve seen that when schools pair fresh books with simple routines and family involvement they learn to love to read.
Build Strong Classroom Habits
1. Make Reading Time Sacred
Carve out daily or weekly reading time and treat it as non-negotiable. Don’t let it get pushed aside. When kids see reading prioritized like math or science, they get the message that it matters. Kids Read Now books give students something fresh to dive into during that time.
2. Create “Book Shopping” Moments
Kids light up when they get to browse. Build in time to shop the classroom bins and explore. If your school partners with Kids Read Now, students can also shop the web catalog and pick titles to be mailed home. If not, they can still browse your shelves and use Discovery Questions from our website to guide conversations about what they find.
3. Encourage Student Choice (Including Abandoning Books)
It’s okay if a book doesn’t click. Encourage kids to move on when something isn’t working. That freedom helps them land on books they genuinely enjoy. Our Discovery Questions can help families talk about what did or didn’t connect, and why.
4. Make Reading Visible
Show off what kids are reading. A bulletin board, a hallway display, or other visualization makes books feel important. Mix in Kids Read Now titles so students see them as part of the bigger school reading culture.
Make Reading Social and Fun
5. Peer Book Recommendations and Talks
Give kids time to share books with each other. Peer excitement is contagious. Use Discovery Questions as quick prompts to help students prepare a one-minute book talk.
6. Spotlight Authors and Their Stories
Kids connect with stories, but they also connect with storytellers. Share fun details about authors: where they grew up, why they write, and what they care about. Tie these spotlights to Kids Read Now titles when you can.
7. Gamify Reading Challenges
Make reading playful. Try bingo boards, class competitions, or family challenges. Use Kids Read Now books as the anchor for these games and let kids track their progress.
8. Celebrate Progress and Growth
Recognize every step they take like pages read, books finished, or minutes logged. Even small celebrations keep motivation high. Track the books kids receive through Kids Read Now and use that as a natural progress marker.
Connect Home and School
9. Use Discovery Questions at Home
Families don’t need elaborate lesson plans. They just need a few good prompts. Discovery Questions turn at-home reading into a simple, fun conversation.
10. Bridge Activities Between Home and School
Ask kids to bring one book from their home library back to class to show the other students. It’s a quick way to connect families to classroom learning.
11. Reader’s Theater or Performing Stories
Acting out books makes stories stick. Try it in class, or encourage families to act out a scene at home. Kids Read Now titles adapt easily into short scripts.
12. Connect Reading to Students’ Lives and Interests
Choose books that reflect students’ backgrounds and passions. When kids see themselves or explore topics that excite them, reading feels personal. The Kids Read Now catalog offers diverse, interest-based choices to help make those connections.
Build the Momentum Early
These routines don’t have to be complicated. Protect reading time, give kids choice, make it social, involve families, and celebrate progress. Small steps, repeated often, build momentum that lasts all year.
At Kids Read Now, we provide more than just books. We provide a whole program designed to build joyful reading habits. Students choose books from our online catalog and receive them by mail throughout the year. Each title comes with simple Discovery Questions to guide family conversations at home. Teachers get resources to help connect those at-home experiences back to the classroom. Whether your school is already partnered with Kids Read Now or you’re just exploring options, you can use our catalog and discovery tools to spark excitement and keep students reading all year long.
Learn More About Kids Read Now
Make sure to join our monthly resource guide full of helpful, seasonal reading tips for educators and families.
To discuss how our program could work in your school, schedule a 15 minute demo:
