Reading and Writing Stamina Over Holiday Breaks

With the holiday breaks coming up, are you looking for ways to have your students maintain their reading and writing stamina?  Do you cringe when they return from a break forgetting how to hold a pencil?  Or when they tell you that they can't get their book to restart?  Check out some easy tips to keep those pencils moving and those eyes on the text while you and your students are apart for your oh-so-needed vacation!

1. Sticks and Stones...
    Be mindful of how you phrase holiday break homework.  Like that.  Don't call it holiday break homework.  I've found students respond better to "challenges" and "competitions."  By building up enthusiasm for assignments, they'll be much more motivated to attempt them when you're not standing over their shoulder.


2.  Writing Challenge
     One of the most creative writing assignment ideas was given to me by on of my favorite former colleges and inspiring teacher, Ms. McArdle.   She is a master at challenging the gifted students that she works with.  I adapted this idea to fit my learners and they loved the opportunity to choose an image and try to write a story using exactly 1,000 words. And bonus for you, there is virtually no prep!  Happy Holidays early :)  Check out the project here.

3. Reading Competitions
    With my reading background, I always get a little verklempt over breaks, worrying if my students are spending time with books.  Forcing them to fill out reading logs on their free time, however, wasn't working and was killing their motivation.  I wanted them to keep up their reading time, but also encourage a natural love of literature.  So I let them track their reading minutes and try to rack up as much time as possible.  Students enjoyed my easy-to-use format and were motivated to spend as much time reading as possible.  Check out my Thanksgiving Freebie Log here.

4.  "A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

        I can't tell you how many times my students would come back from a break with an excuse as to why they read nothing.  "But I was traveling and had no time."  "But I was too busy opening presents."  "But I (fill-in-the-blank-here)."  I started to realize I was the problem (ok, they were more of the problem, but I was a start).  I had to make no room for excuses.  So before we left for break, we'd brainstorm as a class times students would have time to read and write.  Then, they would develop their plan. Check out the free planning sheet I used for upper grade students here.

5.  If You Give Them Books, They Will Read (hopefully)
     When I made the switch to a Title I school, I learned that many of my students were coming back from breaks not reading because there were no books at home.  Duh on my part!  I have been so lucky to come from literacy rich environments, that I hadn't imagined this scenario.  Before a break, I let my class do some book shopping in our classroom library.  I also tried to schedule an extra visit to our school library so that students had ample amounts to read over the break.  Then, I built excitement by NOT LETTING THEM READ those books in class.  These were their special, "break books" and they could not crack the cover until break officially started.  They whined and moaned, begging me to let them start reading.  It's then that I knew I had them right where I wanted them. 

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