Free Resources to Put the Joy Back to Reading
In a survey at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, The National Center for Education Statistics reported that only 14% of 13-year-olds surveyed said that they read for fun almost every day. This reflected over a 10% drop from 2012. At Zinc, we strive to put joy back in reading by both exposing students to texts on topics of their choice and teaching them what to do when they read. But our real dream is that all secondary students will have a book in their backpack—a book that they are reading for fun.
To build excitement around reading, Zinc has developed Live Mind—a free, downloadable, classroom-ready kit with slide shows, activities, book-themed missions, and weekly point trackers to get your students reading and encourage a culture of independent reading in your classroom and on your campus. You can implement Live Mind as a six-week reading journey, or pick and choose from book-themed elements that fit your class needs.
Read the Room Book Choosing Game
A major goal of Live Mind is putting books in backpacks. We all want students to find books they enjoy reading. Live Mind is designed to promote positive reading habits like seeking out books for yourself.
Read the Room is an active game that helps students find a book that grabs their attention. A class can play in the classroom or school library. Google Slides are available with the rules to make things easier. All teachers need to provide are books!
Live Mind Missions and Points
In Live Mind, students can earn points by reading and by embracing the fun of reading. Each week, students will receive missions that help them engage with what they’re reading and practice positive reading habits. A short mission might be taking a selfie with their book or visiting the library. More involved activities would be creating a meal or a work of art based on their book.
Teachers set a goal for their classroom, and students will choose how they participate. We provide the missions, reading trackers, and a way to track classroom points. Students can track their pages or time spent reading, and a wide variety of missions means there will be something for everyone to try.
Book Talk
One of the best parts of reading is talking about books with other readers. For Weeks 2 to 5, Live Mind provides topics for small groups. These quick, fun discussion questions help students think about what they’re reading and share with their peers.
Book Talk is shared as a set of Google Slides, so teachers can easily share that week’s question with your students. Participating in Book Talks also helps students earn points toward the class goal!
Celebration Guide
When a class reaches the finish line for Live Mind, it’s time to celebrate! Students have worked hard and found some new ways to enjoy books along the way. With a class celebration, teachers can encourage students to keep up the excitement they’ve developed for reading.
We offer suggestions for fun ways to have a fun, reading-related celebration with your class that don’t require a ton of work or resources. Teachers are invited to let us know how they celebrate reading, and we look forward to sharing that excitement with you!
Get Live Mind from Zinc
For a sneak preview, check out Zinc Book Talk, a multi-week set of book-themed conversation starters you can use as your next Do Now.
Do you want Live Mind delivered directly to your inbox? Enter your email below and we’ll make sure you’re the first to get the Live Mind kit when it launches in early January.
