Hello my Omschooligans! Are you a book worm? Then you'll love what Teacher Omi has planned for you today! A few days ago, we at the Omschool Tree Fort launched a DIY summer reading club. The first topic was Book-based Science Magic Experiments. The lesson plans provide multisensory ways to interact with books, using craft snacks (or edible crafts), science based magic tricks and companion book selections. We call these Book BAGS (books, activities, games and snack crafts). Today we'll show how to build a DIY summer reading club with interactive reader's workshop activities, ELA and book-based crafts and snacks. Use these as homeschool or summer enrichment reading lesson plans to engage reluctant readers and book worms who can't keep their noses out of books, alike!
ELA: Multisensory and Interactive (the geek speak)
I'm a former special needs and Montessori teacher. So I teach reading as part of the umbrella of ELA (English language arts). My reading lesson plans encompass skills of RWSL (reading, writing, speaking and listening). Book-based activities focus on cross-curricular connections, multisensory VAKT (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile) reading tasks and HOTS (higher-order thinking skills) interactive literature-based activities. In laymen's terms, book activities you can see, hear, touch, smell and taste! And a student book club, also referred to as a reader's workshop, is the perfect vehicle to achieve this.
DIY Summer Book Club & Interactive ELA Activities Outline
I. Core Concepts & Goals
Target Audience: Students, reading groups, homeschool, library programs and classrooms
Objective: Help students deeply engage with literature through interactive reader's workshop response activities, crafts, and themed snacks.(Montessori-style, hands-on, multi-sensory, and cross-curricular).
II. Interactive Reading & Book Club Activities
Book Club & Parties
Organize student-led reading clubs in which students choose books and host focus groups.
Complete different reading response journal activities. Keep reading for a printable format.
Create interactive book report alternatives. See list below.
Coordinate book-themed snacks and foods, games and craft projects to meaningfully engage with literature selections.
Set up a classroom "coffee shop" to give older students a grown-up book club experience.
Readers Theater & Performances
Readers Theater: Chorale-style reading emphasizing voice, inflection, and projection while seated.
Puppet Shows: Create character puppets for storytelling or let students write original scripts.
Radio Plays: Simulate a student radio station (e.g., WRDR, BOOK, READ) using sound effects and book-themed fake commercials.
Digital Media & Film Projects
Book-to-Film: Assign roles (director, properties, scenery, makeup) to act out, film, and upload book-based skits.
Literature-Based Music Videos: Build photo slideshows or presentations set to a curated playlist using photos or student-drawn illustrations.
III. Reading Incentives & Fundraising
Incentive Programs
Participate in group reward initiatives like Pizza Hut's Book-It program.
Reward reading milestones by giving books as prizes.
Charity Fundraisers
Tie reading goals to charitable donations (e.g., donating money per completed book or hour read) to teach giving back.
IV. Recommended Resources & Links
Program Printables & Activities:
Education.com Charity Reading Program:
Reading is Fundamental Teacher Blogs & Lesson Plans:
Interactive ELA & Literature Response Activities
Multi-sensory, cross-curricular, Montessori-style ideas for Readers Workshop, reluctant readers, and divergent learners.
I. Reading Response Journals & Literature Logs
Personalized Logs: Have students create and decorate their own reading logs (notebooks) to track progress and respond to literature.
Activity Integration: Combine writing prompts, reading trackers, and hands-on response tasks.
Resources: For tips and activity suggestions, check out
Free Lesson Plans 4U Free Printable Lesson Plans PBS
II. Hands-On Book Crafts & Homemade Books
Cut book covers from recycled cereal boxes.
Cover with scrap wrapping paper, wallpaper, or a magazine picture collage.
Decoupage by painting front and back with watered-down school glue.
Insert lined paper for text and blank paper for illustrations.
III. Creative Projects & Book Marketing
Promotional Materials: Have students act as marketers for their favorite books or authors by creating advertising posters, alternative book covers, or 3-D models and dioramas.
Book-Based Merchandise: Let students invent toys, themed snack foods, and games inspired by their reading (such as designing a cereal box based on The Hobbit).
Shoebox Dioramas: Recreate scenes from books inside a shoebox using recycled materials and small figurines (such as LEGO, Fisher-Price, or Polly Pockets) as characters.
IV. Performance, Audio & Digital Media
Audio & Video Recordings: Record students reading stories aloud, convert files to MP3 format, or videotape story-telling sessions and upload them to YouTube.
Storytelling & Mentorship: Have students read aloud or act out children's books for younger or special education classes. Our daughter created a costume and dramatic reading presentation on skateboard, of Shel Silverstein's Noise Day.
Book to film: students fill roles as director, properties, scenery. Make character costumes. Create sets. Design props. Do stage make-up and special effects. Act out story. Film the production. Upload book based films and skits to Youtube.
V. Book-Music Connections
Thematic Playlists: Have students curate modern music playlists using metaphorical songs to represent book themes, character arcs, or plot points. (Connecting classic literature to modern music—such as setting a Macbeth production to contemporary tracks—helps students deeply relate to the material).
Learning style based Book report alternatives
Here is a list of ways to complete a book report based upon learning style. Give students the task of selecting a book report alternative that she feels best expresses his learning style. Here are some sample book report alternative reading response activities.
- design a brochure, poster, cartoon strip, newspaper or booklet advertising his book
- create a diorama, a miniature representation of scenes from the book
- act out a scene from the play
- develop a 'commercial' or 'newcast' for the book (film and upload to Youtube)
- produce several puzzles, quizzes or graphic organizers to hand out
- put on a puppet show
- perform a student written song and/or dance
- dress as a character from the book and give 'interviews'
- prepare a product based upon the book (Our son made a breakfast cereal box based on The Hobbit in 7th grade, called 'Hobbit Holes'; He used the layout of the box to arrange info and designed graphics.)
- display a mobile (a branched hanger with objects representing the book).
- design a board game based upon the book
- Radio play. Invent a student radio station (WRDR, BOOK, READ). Using reader's theater techniques, dramatize story. Create sound effects. Add fake commercials related to book. A Moby Dick radio play might feature Whale-B-Gone" spray or Happy Hunter's Harpoons.
Literature Immersion Exposition:
Round out the unit with a book report museum.
- Invite parents, family members, younger children and grades to attend.
- Set up tables and arrange students' graphic projects on tables. Students can stand near their presentation to answer questions.
- Set up a simple staging area for the performing book report projects.
- Host a story corner for children kids where older students read books with similar content geared to younger kids.
- Make crafts.
- Serve food based upon books.
- Have a TV with any taped presentations available to view.
- Each student shares his presentation based upon his book.
- Encourage students to dress in their best as representatives.
- Invite local senior centers to attend or make it a traveling show and bring it to a nursing home.
- Ask for a local news photographer to attend. Citizens in a community love to read about positive things the school is doing. Ask the local or school library to keep the projects on display.
Encourage families to join the reading and development of the project. This can be lots of fun for the family! I had a student who made a newspaper based upon Romeo and Juliet. His mother and aunt had great fun working with him on it! He liked the interaction with them. If you have any different cultures represented, this can be an awesome way to celebrate diversity!
Book BAGS (books, activity, game and snack) packages
I've created some book BAGS packages including the Kitchen Science Magic Experiments and some others found in the blog by searching "book BAGS units." Stay tuned for more reading club package lesson plans. What's available so far is
Let us know in the comments which stories you'd like lesson plans packaged Book BAGS made for!
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