Fall has arrived, which means it’s time for all of the seasonal activities! I get so excited to transition my students into a new season through reading. One of the simplest ways to do this is to choose seasonal texts for your literacy block. My “I Am a Reader” series has a new edition: Digital Fall Reading! These digital, self-guided passages are perfect for fall in the classroom. And, they are so versatile. Today, I am sharing all about ‘I Am a Reader’, as well as some of my favorite ways to use this digital activity in the classroom.
What is i am a reader?
‘I Am a Reader’ is a reading passage series designed to boost confidence in early and emergent readers! It comes in a digital (and now printable) format, so it is no prep and easy to assign.
Students prepare to read by saying that they are readers, and that they are ready to read. This exercise, paired with the reading activities, give students the opportunity to be successful with their reading. In turn, this boosts confidence and help students grow!
Parts of I am a reader
Each ‘I Am a Reader’ passage begins with high frequency or sight word reading. The words listed at the beginning of each passage will also show up in the text, so this serves as a front-loading activity. It is so important that this reading experience helps your students feel confident rather than defeated. So, if they do not recognize one of the high frequency words at the beginning of the slides, feel free to help them! We want our students to have every chance to be successful with this text. This way, their belief that they are readers will continue to grow.
After reviewing high frequency words, it’s time to read! Students will read the brief text in its entirety. As soon as they are finished reading every word, a short GIF will play celebrating their success as a reader. This fun animated video is an easy way to make your students feel excited about their accomplishments.
After reading, it is time to answer some short comprehension questions. Students will also identify the high frequency words they read. These two tasks are further developing your students’ literacy skills.
Using I am a reader in the classroom
Because this entire resource is digital, it’s very easy to use in multiple parts of your classroom. ‘I Am a Reader’ passage sets can be assigned as reading centers if you feel that your students can read the high frequency words and the texts independently. I would recommend assigning passages that you have already read with the students as a center. That way, you know that your students have been exposed to the text before and they will not be sitting alone feeling discouraged while they are trying to read.
These passages can also be used in small groups for emergent or struggling readers in your classroom. Because you begin by front-loading high frequency words, reading a text and then answering comprehension questions, you are following all of the pieces of a typical guided reading lesson. This resource can seamlessly fit into your lessons without disrupting your normal routine. Plus, they are no prep!
Finally, you can also assign these passages to your students via Google classroom to practice at home after reading at school. This would be a great way to get families involved in celebrating a student’s success. If a child reads a passage in the classroom, you can email it to the parents and ask them to read it again at night with their child. That way everyone in the family can help celebrate and boost the student’s confidence, as well!
You can grab my digital ‘I Am a Reader’ passage sets for fall by clicking HERE. If you would rather have your students interact with paper and pencil, you can grab the printable version HERE. Either way, this is a great resource to build student confidence and reading skills this school year!
Do you love a good holiday theme? Take a closer look at my Halloween themed I am a Reader mini-edition here!
