Last Updated on January 18, 2024 by Laura
February is “I Love to Read Month!” It’s the perfect time for you to celebrate reading in your school! Start with an “I Love to Read” bulletin board and a book recommendation center and you’ll help your students and staff spread the love of reading throughout the school.
This article may contain Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. This means that if you click a link and purchase something I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Interactive Bulletin Board
Display a “WE LOVE TO READ” bulletin board in a prominent place in your school. My library was in the middle of 10 classrooms with large bulletin boards in the hallways leading into the library. This was a great place for a bright interactive display.
I Love to Read Centers
Put some colorful sticky notes and/or some book recommendation slips in a center and ask students to recommend a book they love to read. It can be something they have read recently or a book they’ve read before – maybe an old favorite! Students can put their sticky notes on the bulletin board.
I like to do a bookmark exchange in February and have my students create bookmarks that recommend a favorite book to someone in another school. They could also teach someone else about a topic they have been recently researching or just decorate a fun bookmark for the exchange.
To do a bookmark exchange within your school, just have students in each class create a bookmark and exchange them with another class. It’s always fun to make a connection with someone new.
I Love to Read Month Book Display
Make an “I Love to Read” sign and display seasonal books in a special area of the library. You can also include books that staff and students have rated, reviewed, and recommended in the book recommendation center.
Speaking of February books, I’ve got some recommendations for some picture books along with some free resources!
Celebrate “I Love to Read Week!”
It’s super fun to celebrate a WEEK dedicated to the love of reading during I Love to Read Month! If you have your book fair in February, that’s a great week to celebrate, but any week will do! Choose a fun theme for each day to get everyone to play along. In my school we’ve done “Crazy Sock Day,” “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” “Wearable Words Day,” “Dress Like a Book Character Day,” and “Book Selfie Day.” You can choose anything that sounds fun and festive to share a love for books, and you can bet your school community will jump on board!
Make A Valentine Heart Estimation Jar
An estimation jar is always a fun activity in the library. For “I Love to Read Month” in the library, or Valentine’s Day in the classroom, you can make a quick Valentine heart JAR OF WORDS. In the library, I always give the jar as part of the prize, along with a free book. I usually recycle a jar from Costco – soak it to get off the labels and clean it really well! Get some conversation hearts and you’re ready for some fun! I can help you get started with this FREE Jar of Words resource.
CELEBRATE!
Are you ready to celebrate “I Love to Read Month” in your school? If you’d like some help, I’ve got everything you need in my We Love to Read Activity and Bulletin Board Kit! It’s got everything that I used in my own elementary school library:
- Low prep bulletin board letters in several styles and sizes
- Sticky note template and easy to follow directions
- Bookmarks & bookmark exchange idea
- Differentiated book review pages
- Estimation jar labels and answer slips
- “I Love to Read Week” posters and handout
What plans do you have to celebrate “I Love to Read Month” in your school? Be sure to share your good ideas in the comments!
Be the light!
