Reviewing Reading Genres with This Hands-On Activity
Reviewing reading genres with this hands-on activity
Exploring reading genres in a meaningful and engaging way is so important for our kids! Not only does it show them texts outside of their favorite genre and comfort zone, but it opens their minds to new storytelling techniques, themes, structures, and vocabulary. It’s also a great way to explore an author’s purpose and the fact that authors usually decide on a genre before writing a story!
But how can we make reviewing reading genres fun and avoid the usual, boring reviews that kids have seen a million times? Well, look no further than this post where I’ll go into detail about Sticky Genres – a hands-on, engaging activity that will get your kids thinking and talking about genres and an author’s purpose! Plus, we’ll look at two genre-tracking tools your students are going to love!
What is Sticky Genres?
The aim of this activity is for students to review reading genres by matching them to books. Here’s how it looks step-by-step:
- Give each group or team of kids a collection of books. Make sure there is a mix of genres in each collection!
- Each group then gets a set of genre sticky notes which include the genre name and a description of the author’s purpose for that specific genre.
- Next, your kids work in their team to match the genre sticky notes to a book of that genre. Encourage them to justify their choices – what is it about this book that makes it a mystery? fantasy? informational?
- When the group is done making their matches, come together and check them!
Alternative way to play:
You can also give each student a genre sticky note and ask them to hunt through the classroom library for a book that fits that genre.
How to prepare Sticky Genres?
The resource includes printing templates which you attach sticky notes to, then print as usual. Each genre title and description will align to the sticky notes and you simply peel off and you’re good to go!
Genres included:
- Fiction
- Informational
- Poetry
- Persuasive
- Argumentative
- Literary nonfiction
- Drama
- Fantasy
- Historical fiction
- Realistic fiction
- Science fiction
- Mystery
Other ways to review and have fun with genres!
Genre Bingo
This is a fun tracking chart for kids where they challenge themselves to read different genres! You can ask them to try and get five in a row or as an added challenge, complete the whole board! Students can write in the title of the book they’ve read under each genre name on the board then color the box to mark it off. Genres on the game board include science fiction, comic/graphic novel, poetry, historical fiction, and more. A great visual way to track reading and keep the topic of genres in mind!
Genre Graph
Another great visual tracking tool is a genre graph! As your kids finish reading a book, they color in a box above the genre of the book. Ask them to challenge themselves and read books of all genres and not aim to reach the top on just one or two! Genres on the graph include fiction, fantasy, poetry, biography, and graphic novels.
Grab the ready-to-go resources!
Find Sticky Genres, Genre Bingo, and the Genre Graph tracking tool in my bundle, Beginning of the Year Activities Bundle – Reading + Writing + Community. This pack also includes back to school printables, partner plays, conversation dice, classroom job applications, reading and writing goals and surveys, and much more!
