You Don't Have to Sit Still to Learn How to Read

While some kids love to park themselves on a couch with a book or write and rewrite their ABCs, many kids that I have worked with would never freely choose to sit down and practice their letters or look through a book because they are too busy running around. I’m sure you all know a few of these active, busy little ones; maybe you were one yourself. It’s not that these kiddos are not interested in literacy activities; it’s just that they learn differently and are more interested in things that don’t involve sitting still. Perhaps though, they are less comfortable with their fine motor skills or get their energy from being around others and so the solitary literacy activities leave them restless or bored.

This doesn’t mean they are destined to struggle with reading, or that they are even disinterested in it, as is too often assumed. It simply means that in order to set all kids up for success, we as teachers (or parents at home), need to set out activities that speak to a variety of learning styles so that at some point during the day, each kid has the chance to get involved in literacy work one way or another. The more we get to know each individual child’s preferred way of learning, the kinds of activities that they are most naturally inclined to participate in with enthusiasm, the better chance each child has at reaching his and her true potential. Too many kids get left behind in school when it comes to literacy because the status quo in education is to have all children conform to a single or a small range of activities that cater to the dominant learning style. This isn’t fair and it is not the only way.

A great way to encourage literacy development for all students is by including bits and pieces of it throughout the classroom as a whole, rather than simply creating an isolated literacy station. A designated station can work too, so long as it includes a variety of activities that speak to a variety of learning styles, this just takes a lot more space and often more work than is necessary. Integration not only increases exposure to these types of activities, it also ensures that no matter what station kids naturally lean toward, they will get in some literary work within the context of their preferred activities. I like the integration approach to literacy development especially because it encourages learning within the context of what the kids are doing so it is far more relevant and therefore allows kids to both want to read to add to their experience as well as better understand why it is important to do so.

A variation on my puzzle activity

At Bella Mente, the preschool I left behind in Seattle when I moved, I worked with a little boy who had no interest whatsoever in learning to read or write, until one day I created a stack of boards that had our new classroom name printed on them with empty squares below for letter tiles so the kids could learn their new name since we were no longer calling them the “4s class.” This little friend loved puzzles and the act of searching for the letters and finding and placing the ones that matched the letter printed above each box was something he was deeply interested in. To him this was just another puzzle, but as he filled in the letters and “built” words, he said them out loud and smiled the biggest, sweetest, proud smile when I pointed out that he was spelling real words.

Another student in that same class was the most perfect example of a kinetic learner I have ever seen. This boy loved to move. All he wanted to do was run around and climb on things. Quiet, stationary activities were just not something he was interested in. So how do you get a kid like him to focus on pre-reading and writing? Well, you find a way for him to move while he learns. Three activities immediately come to my mind for kiddos like my incredibly active little buddy but there are so many more once you start researching (Pinterest is a great resource for this), brainstorming, and trying things out in your space with your kiddos and see what they respond to.

One idea is an alphabet scavenger hunt. I love this one because it can be done individually, which is great for those introverted kiddos who get their energy from retreating into their inner dialogue, but it can also be a social group activity. A few of my students did this and had so much fun searching all over the classroom for each letter of the alphabet. This way, kids are working on letter recognition while at the same time moving around the classroom to satisfy their bodies desire to be in motion. To also make this a writing activity, the kids can carry a detective’s notebook and scribble down each letter as they find them.  

Another great activity for more active learners involves a little yoga-like movement where the kids attempt to shape their bodies to match the different letters of the alphabet. They can also do this one individually or with friends by turning it into a game as one friend watches and tries to guess the letter the other one bends into. You can also model the shapes and have the kids try to guess what letter you are making. Not only is this a lot of fun, whenever I’ve done it has left all the kids tumbling over in glorious fits of laughter and glee, but it also promotes large motor development and is a nice way to incorporate some principles of yoga into their daily worlds.

The last activity that immediately came to mind is one I recently discovered on Pinterest and I am super excited to try it out next time I get the chance to work with a super active learner. For this activity the teacher lays colorful tape down on the floor in the shape of very large letters, in upper and/or lower case for the children to practice walking along heel to toe as they would on a balance beam or tightrope. This is a fantastic challenge for the little movers who struggle to concentrate while sitting still, their bodies too antsy to remain seated for too long. If you try this one out, let me know how it goes!  

I love that these activities do not require a literacy station of their own and can easily be incorporated into the other core classroom stations. The word tiles puzzle is a great one to add to a quiet area paired with books and pillows, a work-table, and a run to sprawl out on. The scavenger hunt is perfect for creative play (aka dramatic play or imaginary play). When the kids in my class did this they called themselves the “alphabet detectives,” but they could have just as easily been pirates on an alphabet treasure hunt. The other two activities are great in any indoor and outdoor active play station, something every classroom ought to have where kids can move around and put their crazy energy to good use.

The yoga alphabet poses make for a really effective and participatory group meeting for when the kiddos seem too restless for or disinterested in a more traditional circle time meeting. Really though, the possibilities are endless and they will make all the difference in the world for those students who might otherwise struggle when it comes to learning to read. Constant exposure, even if it’s just adding rocks with letters and/or words painted on them to a sensory tub, can help set certain kids up for success later on just by increasing their exposure to language in such seemingly random and subtle ways. The learning happens whether they realize it or not and helps prevent later stress for children, teachers, and parents alike. 

Alphabet Bean Bag Toss

Check out my Playingwith Language board and other Ed-related ones on Pinterest for more ideas on incorporating literacy development in unexpected ways in the classroom and at home. There are so many more ways to reach kids than just reading books and singing the ABC song and every kid prefers and responds to different ones. When it comes to getting kids interested in reading and writing my motto is always, the more variety the better. This might take a little more effort on my end, but the results are so worth it. There is nothing like seeing a child take those first steps toward learning to read and the more fun we as teachers and parents can make this process the more likely the kids will be to stick with it and fall in love with reading, and thus learning as a whole.