1st Grade is the most magical of places. It truly is a home for transformation and growth like no other. In 1st grade, students come to you, many times, reading only pictures and then, in May, they leave with reading preferences, reading goals, and stacks of to-be-read books. Itβs an incredible blessing to be part of this. Itβs A LOT of work and takes an inordinate amount of time and intention, but the result is most certainly worth the investment.
Recognizing this transformation and celebrating growth, our 1st Grade team hosts a Reading Celebration each May. It is one of those simple, just-right traditions that allows us (educators, students, families) to pause, reflect, and recognize the efforts of so many in fostering life-long reading habits.
Reading Celebration Basics
Our Reading Celebration takes place the last 35 minutes of school. Families are invited a month in advance to join their student with a blanket on the front lawn. I send home the below letter; snag the editable version here. Students read to their families or special adult on the front lawn, but in case of rain or no grass, we use the playground, gym, cafeteria, or classroom. As teachers, we provide the children (ha!), book bins and books, and a celebratory popsicle.
Every Reader Needs Someone
Our students and families lead incredibly busy lives. While we give lots of notice and help families troubleshoot reasons they might not be able to attend, life happens and we make sure EVERY student can participate in this tradition. For students whose immediate family members cannot attend, consider –
- if an older sibling can join the student for the event.
- if a family needs to bring young siblings to the event, thatβs okay!
- if another adult in the school building can act as a Reading Enthusiast (school secretary, PE teacher, principal, custodian, a teacher that has planning during your reading celebration)
- if a family would be willing to βadoptβ a reader for the afternoon
- if one of your own family members can join you for the event (my Mom always joins us for the afternoon as an extra reader just in case I have a last-minute cancelation)
- if a District Specialist or Reading Coach could join a reader
The thing with traditions is that they follow us – for good or for bad. Therefore, EVERYONE needs an adult. So, when you send-out information to families a month in advance, start recruiting other adults to join you. Realistically, I like to keep 2-3 adults βon callβ for last-minute family emergencies or unknown family no-shows.
Preparing for the Reading Celebration
The days leading up to the Reading Celebration our reading mini-lessons center around our growth as readers. Throughout these mini-lessons we reflect and talk about what weβve learned about books, our preferences as readers (genres, text types, authors, etc.), our goals for summer reading, and ways we can share our passions with others. During these mini-lessons, we curate our PERFECT book bins. A perfect book bin might include the next book in a series weβre reading, a familiar reread, a book that used to be hard for us but now we can reread and understand it with ease, a book that we love reading with a favorite friend, and a book that always makes us laugh.
This is an intuitive process. I am not the book police. Students cull books that they want to share with their adult. Typically, our book bins hold between 6-14 books. Then, we make a Reading Game Plan asking questions like –
- What book might I want to share first?
- Is there a book I want my adult to read with me? How will we read it?
- Is there a book I want to talk to my adult about but not read?
- Is there a certain book that shows how much Iβve grown?
- What author/genre do I most frequently read?
The Big Day
Every event needs a climatic build-up, right?! The amazing part of 1st grade is that it doesnβt take much. On the morning of the Reading Celebration students bring their book bins to the carpet and share from their bins. Which books have they chosen to share? Are they nervous? What book are they most excited about sharing? Will their adult help them read or will the student read all the characters/parts?
Then, as time approaches, we snag our book bins and process out of the building to greet our adults on the front lawn. As students greet their adults/families, they take their blanket and find a just-right spot on the grass. In a matter of minutes, we have 100 students their families/adults reading and celebrating together. It is such an incredibly sweet moment.
As students read, I check-in with the families/adults, thank them for coming, take pictures of each student, and eventually pass-out popsicles and wipes. (Note – families taking an afternoon to come to school is often a huge commitment meaning schedule rearranging, taking time off, or playing phone-tag. I *always* take 30 minutes after school that day to email families the picture of their student at the event with a Thank You note. Even if the family wasnβt able to attend, they still want to see that their student was included.)
So simple. So easyβ¦yet so incredibly powerful. Reading has the power to transform lives, families, and communities. With our Reading Celebration, we celebrate our studentsβ growth, the adults who helped the growth happen, and leave every with warm-fuzzy reading feelings.
It seems that the most simple of classroom traditions are the ones that our students and families treasure. So many times I find myself over planning, over worrying, and over doing when a popsicles, blanket, and book would suffice.
So, there you go. Does your school host a reading celebration? What does it look like? If not, what might it look like in your building? How could you make it work?Β
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We are in a unique position living in a small town that has 3 primary K-2 buildings with one principal. At our first grade PLC today I shared that my teaching partner and I have decided to do a reading celebration at the end of the year. The other 1st grade teachers thought this was an awesome idea and something they would also try. Thank you for a simple game plan. I love your ideas!!!
Simply put, it’s a social event where people get together to read, typically in someone’s home. Reading parties are different from book clubs in that guests are encouraged to bring and read their own books in the company of their friends.
I stumbled upon this interesting article about promoting reading in high schools and organizing a reading celebration. As an avid reader myself, I truly believe that such initiatives can inspire students to develop a love for books and reading. Speaking of which, I recently read “Fahrenheit 451” and was blown away by the book’s powerful message about the dangers of censorship and the importance of preserving knowledge. However, I must admit that analyzing literature has never been my strongest suit, so I decided to seek some help and ordered a text work on https://edubirdie.com/examples/fahrenheit-451/ to submit for my review on the book. Nonetheless, I still encourage everyone to pick up a copy of “Fahrenheit 451” and experience the profound impact it can have on one’s perspective about the world.
I stumbled upon this interesting article about promoting reading in high schools and organizing a reading celebration. As an avid reader myself, I truly believe that such initiatives can inspire students to develop a love for books and reading. Speaking of which, I recently read “Fahrenheit 451” and was blown away by the book’s powerful message about the dangers of censorship and the importance of preserving knowledge. However, I must admit that analyzing literature has never been my strongest suit, so I decided to seek some help and ordered a text work on https://edubirdie.com/examples/fahrenheit-451/ to submit for my assignment on the book. Nonetheless, I still encourage everyone to pick up a copy of “Fahrenheit 451” and experience the profound impact it can have on one’s perspective about the world.
I stumbled upon this interesting article about promoting reading in high schools and organizing a reading celebration. As an avid reader myself, I truly believe that such initiatives can inspire students to develop a love for books and reading. Speaking of which, I recently read “Fahrenheit 451” and was blown away by the book’s powerful message about the dangers of censorship and the importance of preserving knowledge. However, I must admit that analyzing literature has never been my strongest suit, so I decided to seek some help and ordered a text work on https://edubirdie.com/examples/fahrenheit-451/ to submit for my review on the book. Nonetheless, I still encourage everyone to pick up a copy of “Fahrenheit 451” and experience the profound impact it can have on one’s perspective about the world.
Reading Celebration: Embracing the joy of books! Let’s immerse ourselves in captivating stories and explore new worlds. Cheers to the love of reading!” πππ
Living in a tiny town with three primary K-2 buildings under one principal puts us in a unique situation. I announced today at our first grade PLC that my teaching partner and I have chosen to host a reading celebration at the conclusion of the school year. The other first-grade instructors agreed that this was a great concept and would give it a try. I appreciate your clear-cut game strategy. I adore your concepts! retro bowl college
Hosting a reading celebration is a joyous endeavor, and leveraging the expertise of an essay service https://manyessays.com/ can elevate the experience. Such services provide valuable insights into crafting reflective pieces on the significance of reading celebrations. With their assistance, one can articulate the joy, community, and learning fostered during these events, creating a compelling narrative that captures the essence of literary festivities.
This Reading Celebration epitomizes the power of nurturing a reading culture in the classroom. It is beautiful to witness the transformation and joy that comes from sharing stories and experiences with loved ones.
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What a heartwarming and thoughtful way to celebrate the incredible growth and transformation of first-grade students in their reading journey! The Reading Celebration sounds like a beautiful tradition that fosters a love for reading and brings the whole community together to honor the students’ efforts.
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