Motivating Leveled Readers

This is just a quick post today about the power of the leveled readers that we choose.  Two years ago I was lucky enough to buy some  A LOT of books for our leveled book room (well....it is in the cafeteria.  We have to use whatever space we have--right!!?!)  I did the best I could at choosing books and looking back on it now, I am sure I could have chosen some different ones. BUT...as I continue to try out all these books I realize which ones have the real POWER to them.  I am finding out which ones are real motivators.

Here is what I found out this week....

Graphic novels are really fun and exciting to my firsties.  The ones I bought start at level G and H.  That means I just got to them for the first time this year with my on level group.  I think it helped that they have been studying Mo Willems in writing.  All the speech bubbles and sound words were very familiar to them!

Although it was really great to read these graphic novels with my firsties, the best small group moment for me this week was during my intervention group.  We read a book called "Volcano Bubbles."  It is a nonfiction book that explains how to make a volcano.  They thought the colorful bubbles were really cool.  Then....(my favorite part)....we read a fiction companion book called "The Volcano Sand Hill."  As we read through the book they became more and more excited (and LOUD) while making connections between the two books.  I couldn't stop smiling!  They were engaged, excited, and actually reading the book pretty fluently!!

I hope my book choices for next week prove to be as POWERFUL and engaging!

Do you have any leveled readers that your students love?