Ready, Set, Read! How to Gamify Reading

Because of student apathy, low reading levels, and short attention spans, many teachers feel that class reading time is like pulling teeth, but it doesn't have to be that way. Reading, whether as a whole class or in small groups, can be entertaining and engaging for students and teachers alike. You simply need to add a little gamification to your reading routine.

Hook'em

The first step to successful gamification is hooking your students. How will you approach the reading in a way that is new, entertaining, and interactive? Students need to see the fun in the activity from the very start, or they won't be invested in the game or engaged in the reading. 

For example, instead of telling them they'll be researching background information and filling out a quiz on the topic, I tell them they'll be competing in teams to complete the background scavenger hunt first. Adding teams and competition is a great way to amp up the fun and get more students to buy in.

Once the reading starts, you need students to pay attention to important characters, settings, events, and conflicts. A fun way to get them focused in on details like these is a multi-chapter crossword puzzle that they fill out as the class reads. I like to use this strategy for the first few chapters to make sure they have the groundwork they need for understanding the rest of the book without having to stop and take standard notes.

Break It Up

Another important part of gamification is to break up the monotony. You can do this by mixing up the way you approach class readings each day. For example, one day might be a whole class reading with incentives for each paragraph read (I award my students tickets for the semester raffle). The next day could be a team competition to answer previewed questions as you listen to the audio book. 

For small group reading in a class of reluctant readers, I like to use RIOT! It's a card game that gets students reading in order to discard and force other players to draw cards. The object of the game is to get rid of all of your cards, so students will read entire pages just to punish other players! My students often ask to play this game, but I try to use it sparingly, so they don't tire of it.

One aspect of gamification is that the interactions and fun can often add time to your reading session. It's important to keep this in mind and not let the reading surpass 30 minutes a session. Otherwise, students will burn out on the book and the game.

Keep Them Busy

If you're designing a reading game, remember to keep as many students as possible participating throughout the activity. You can design relay style games like Lit Grid to make sure each team member has a chance to perform or timed races to maintain focus in easily distractible students. If you need differentiation, you can build roles into your game.

If you simply want your students to listen and enjoy a chapter every now and then without any gaming involved, then I recommend handing out fidgets or allowing students to draw while they listen. My personal favorite is Playdoh because it's quiet, creative, and keeps their little hands off their phones during the reading.

Make it Relevant

While gamification itself is meant to hook and engage students, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be relevant. Just like your lessons, games should be scaffolded to ensure students are practicing skills related to the standards. For example, I like to use Literary Chairs for figurative language identification. It's like musical chairs, but with literary devices! Next, I level it up with Theme Pyramid to get students noticing how figurative language adds meaning and supports themes. Essentially, I ensure the games we're playing are aligned with the standards and the assessment they'll be taking at the end of the book.

Get Inspired

When I need an idea for a game, I find out what my students are playing on their phones. This tells me what they're interested in and what type of game play they enjoy. This has lead to many game ideas. I also get inspired by the book itself. This can give you a groundwork for thematic games. 

If you really want to challenge your students, have them come up with the games as a book project that can be used by future generations of students. It will take some of the pressure off of you, and it might give you a few more ideas as well.

For those of you venturing into the world of reading gamification, please share your ideas in the comments. I'd love to hear what you're working on!