The first few weeks of school often bring a real buzz around reading—students are exploring the shelves, setting goals, and diving into new books. But as the back-to-school excitement fades, that momentum can slip, and independent reading starts to feel more like just another assignment. In this episode we share fresh, practical strategies to keep students engaged well beyond the first month of school.

From spotlighting new book choices and mixing up routines, to incorporating quick reflections and building a stronger reading community, you’ll find simple ways to make reading time feel meaningful again. We also dig into the deeper benefits of reading challenges, how to give reluctant readers “quick wins,” and why it’s powerful to let students share the books they didn’t finish. Whether your students are eager readers or still finding their way, this episode will give you tools to re-energize your classroom and keep reading momentum going strong all year long.

Resources you may find helpful:

• Reading Challenges
• Book Review and Recommendation Templates
• Building Reading Stamina
• Finding Just Right Books

Related episodes and blog posts: 

• How to Reduce Reading Anxiety (Episode 59)
• Using Reading Challenges to Engage and Stretch Readers (Episode 54)
• How to Use Choice Reading to Boost Engagement (Episode 19)
• How to Support Struggling Readers 

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