Encouraging a culture of reading

I had my students make coloured posters of the book they are reading and post them on their lockers.

Using Google Image search, we found the covers to their books. They ended up looking like this:





The idea being that the hallway will end up looking something like this:





After placing these posters up, I immediately observed a number of conversations between students that revolved around books they were reading. Students became aware of others who were reading the same books, and teaching staff found the information helpful in getting to better know the kids' interests. Our librarian loved the idea, because it gave her invaluable information about the kinds of books she should focus on purchasing for our library's shelves. Conversations between staff and students were sparked, as well.


By simply making the books the kids were reading more visible, it became easier to discuss reading. I believe that this kind of thing can go a long ways in creating a healthy and active reading culture.