Brave New Teaching: A Podcast for High School and Middle School Teachers

Fine, We Can Game-ify Reading (But No Gimmicks!) - BNT Team Meeting [Episode 275]

Nov 20, 2025
Join a lively discussion on the importance of making reading fun and engaging in the classroom. Explore the mixed feelings about gamifying reading, with intriguing gimmicks that actually work, like 'adopting a ghost' and book blind dates. Delve into the challenges students face in engaging with books and how whimsical approaches can reignite their interest. The hosts also share personal experiences and community strategies for boosting reading joy, making it a heartfelt blend of insight and inspiration for educators.
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INSIGHT

Gateway Activities Are Trailers

  • Gateway activities act like trailers that sell the unit to students and determine engagement.
  • Marie warns a flat gateway loses students before the lesson begins.
ADVICE

Use Picture Books As Gateways

  • Use picture books as gateway lessons to introduce big concepts in an engaging, compact way.
  • Download Brave New Teaching's free Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs lesson to introduce dystopia.
INSIGHT

Gamification's Tension In Classrooms

  • Teachers feel conflicted about gamification but recognize tracking and visual rewards can motivate readers.
  • Marie admits she enjoys trackers and book-spine posters despite uneasy feelings about gamifying.
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