The Reader’s Retreat
Creating a Reading Nook with Student Appeal
As
teachers, we know that reading is a very important part of learning! However,
with all of the entertainment alternatives available to kids, reading is often
not their first choice for fun and relaxation. In order to making time spent
reading as appealing as possible, it’s important to provide an appealing
setting for curling up with a good book. Creating a reader’s retreat in an
area of your classroom can help students to develop a positive attitude toward
reading. That positive attitude is very important as you introduce reading into
your FACS curriculum.
Planning and designing your Reader’s Retreat can be a fun and educational activity for you and your students to do together.
Students in an interior design course might design and construct a rack or shelves for organizing and displaying your classroom library. They might also work in groups to design the entire reader’s retreat as an exercise in room layout and decoration.
Students in textiles and apparel classes might design and sew floor cushions, bean bag chairs, window treatments and other soft furnishings that will make the reader’s retreat comfortable and visually appealing.
The FACS department or FCCLA might sponsor a design contest to solicit students’ input for a theme for the room. Brainstorm ideas for making the area visually appealing and inspirational.
Take a field trip to a resale shop to search out affordable pieces of furniture that can be repurposed to furnish the reader’s retreat.
Make a class project out of designing and creating original lamps for your reader’s retreat. Creating a lamp from everyday objects is fun, easy, inexpensive and will prepare students to make their own simple home repairs.
The possibilities for creating a reader’s retreat that your student will find enticing are limited only to your imagination and creativity. Have fun with it and encourage your students to have fun with it, too. If students take ownership of the project, they are more likely to take advantage of the space and read, read, read!
Your Reader’s Retreat will need the following basic components:
A designated area set apart for the purpose of encouraging students to view reading as a pleasurable activity.
Furnishings that will allow you to display and organize books and other reading materials.
Comfortable and attractive seating that will invite students to settle in for and enjoyable reading session. A comfy rug can also be used as seating in your Reader’s Retreat.
Adequate lighting that will make reading easy and pleasant.
Decorative accessories chosen to reflect student ownership of the Reader’s Retreat.
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An example of a cozy Reader’s Retreat. |
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Book storage is the centerpiece of a Reader’s Retreat. An inexpensive bookcase like the one in this photograph works well. Milk crates stacked on their sides and stacking wire storage cubes sold at warehouse stores can also be used effectively. Allow your students to be creative and I’m confident that they will come up with something clever and useful. |
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Bean bag chairs are a perpetual favorite with teenagers and fortunately, they’re fun and easy to make. I made this one following the instructions at http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/Blog/bean_bag_chair.pdf It requires only three yards of fabric for the outside cover and 3 yards of fabric for the inner lining. I made this example from flannel, but any durable fabric will work equally well. Just make sure that you keep durability and cleanability in mind when selecting fabrics. Cut, stitch and fill with bean bag pellets and you’re set to go. |
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Floor cushions are a simple seating alternative. This one was made using foam chair pads for a tailored effect. Oversized pillows stuffed with polyester fiberfill are quick and easy to make. They can be any size and shape, giving students the opportunity to design their own original creations. Again, selection of durable fabrics will enhance the use and longevity of your floor cushions. |
The following websites will also be helpful in planning and creating your Reader’s Retreat:
Furnishing Your Reader’s Retreat
http://www.craftbits.com/project/giant-floor-cushion
http://www.budget101.com/crafts/fcp2.htm
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/howtomadeflp.html
http://www.sewing.org/html/beanbag.html
Simplicity offers a line of patterns designed with teens in mind. Some of these designs would make good additions to your Reader’s Retreat.
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Pattern # 5105 Pattern # 5124
