When teaching students literacy skills, I am transparent: I want them to understand that reading and writing are skills they will use every day of their lives.
To help them understand the relevance of reading, ask your students to brainstorm a long list of things we read. You may choose to brainstorm ideas together or ask them to brainstorm with a partner or small group. Once they have their lists, give them a blank page (or use a Literacy Notebook if you have one), and ask them to write this title in the middle: Reading is Everywhere. Then, they can add words and/or pictures to depict the many things we read!
