4 ways schools can celebrate World Book Day

With the twenty third World Book Day taking place on 5 March, this article looks at some fun tips and ideas for teachers and students to mark this celebration of reading in the classroom.

So, make sure your school is ready to participate in World Book Day this year with creative ideas that don’t just involve parents buying their kids fancy-dress costumes!

What is World Book Day?

World Book Day takes place every year. It’s an international celebration of authors, illustrators, books and reading that’s marked in over 100 countries around the globe. The main objective of World Book day is to encourage young people to discover the joy of reading by giving them the opportunity to receive a book of their own via book tokens and resource packs sent to participating schools and nurseries. In an increasingly digital world, the benefits of reading – a larger vocabulary, increased empathy and better concentration – should not be forgotten.

How can my school mark World Book Day?

Supermarkets have caught on to World Book Day and most of the major stores now sell fancy-dress costumes. However, there are many ways your school can mark this special day without a particular emphasis on fancy-dress. These include:

1) Holding a book drive

Put out a call for any unwanted books a few weeks before World Book Day. Designate a collection point for them and make sure it’s clearly signposted. Specify the types of books you would like (if desired) and use your school’s social media channels to raise awareness and give updates on progress.

2) Reviewing a book

Choose a book and ask your students to review it. Ask them to consider questions such as:

• Who’s your favourite/least favourite character and why?
• What’s your favourite part of the book?
• Did you like the ending?
• What didn’t you like about the book?

Hold a class debate to discuss the reviews or ask students to work in small groups to share their thoughts and opinions.

3) Reading your favourite book in class

Ask your students to bring in their favourite books and get them to choose a paragraph to read to their fellow students in class. Or, use an electronic whiteboard or interactive screen to display pages from selected books and introduce some reading-based whole-class activities.

4) Sharing and displaying your thoughts about reading

Ask your teachers and students to write down what they love about reading (in a couple of sentences at most). Use these thoughts to create colourful, inspiring display boards for World Book Day to hang up around your school.

These are just some of the many ways that your school can participate in this important celebration. So, support World Book Day and encourage your students to make time for books and reading!

Is your school looking for equipment to make the most of World Book Day? Get in touch with our friendly team!