How can we ‘big up’ books?
The reality is, encouraging pupils to read is perhaps now harder than it has ever been. Picking up a book when technology is so readily available is certainly a challenge! Try keeping the love for reading alive in your classroom this World Book Day by providing pupils time to ‘big up books’.
Big Up Books
- Firstly, have a book to hand that you want to big up.
- Model to the pupils how to big up the book. Share a key extract or line or summarise a great part of the text.
- Talk about how amazing the book is and why it makes you feel this way. Exude passion!
- Ask pupils to big up a book they love to their partner, really selling it and giving specific examples as to why it’s so entertaining.
- Ask a couple of pupils to big up their book to the whole class.
- The pupil who bigs up their book can then choose a peer to lend their book to.
Why is it a good strategy?
Although this is a great idea for World Book Day, try and implement it all year round! Keeping talk about books a regular experience in your classroom will keep reading at the front of pupils’ minds and show them that reading is something worthwhile.
Tip
Try inviting a colleague or visitor to come and big up their best book to your class. Showing adults as readers will encourage children aspire to read too.
