Adding short reading for pleasure activities to your breakfast club can be a great way to entertain your pupils in the morning, increase attendance, promote cross-year-group interactions, and get your pupils hooked on reading!
Enriching your breakfast club offering doesn’t need extensive preparation - by introducing short but impactful reading activities, you can spark children’s passion for stories in just a few moments.
Here are some simple 5-minute activities to inspire reading for pleasure, alongside how Book Squad resources can make it even easier.
5-Minute Activities to Spark Reading Interest
These bite-sized activities are perfect for when time is tight. They’re low-prep, high-impact, and fit seamlessly into any schedule.
1. Read-Aloud Moments
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What to Do: Pick an exciting children’s book and read it aloud with energy and expression each morning, or a couple of mornings a week. Increase attendance by getting your pupils hooked on the story – they’ll keep coming back to hear what happens!
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Why It Works: Storytelling and reading aloud has been proven to engage even the most reluctant readers, promote wellbeing, and improve behaviour. For tips on how to get started, check out this blog from teacher and Reading for Pleasure Award Winner, Chris Soul.
2. Meet the Author
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What to Do: Share a short author quote, fun fact, or watch a one-minute video of an author discussing their inspiration.
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Why It Works: Introducing authors personalises the reading experience and sparks pupils’ curiosity. Find a wealth of author and illustrator videos, perfect for sharing with your class on Book Squad!
3. Draw-Along Challenge
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What to Do: Read a descriptive passage and challenge pupils to visualise and draw what they imagine. For example, describe a character or setting in a story like Five Children and It.
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Why It Works: This combines creativity with reading, helping children connect with stories on a visual level. Find draw along videos to play to your class here.
4. First Line Challenge
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What to Do: Read the opening line from a book aloud and ask pupils what they think happens next. Could this be a scary thriller, a space adventure, or both?
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Why It Works: First lines spark interest and encourage pupils to explore different genres! Use our Book Club resources to find the best extracts, or tips from leading voice actors on reading aloud!
5. Book Covers Showdown
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What to Do: Hold up two vibrant book covers and ask the class to pick their favourite and guess what the story is about. Then read the blurb – whoever was closest wins!
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Why It Works: Pupils love sharing opinions, and this activity nudges them towards exploring new book titles.
6. Graphic Novel Starters
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What to Do: Provide pupils with blank comic strip templates and invite them to create their own panel based on a scene or storyline.
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Why It Works: Graphic novels are fantastic for reluctant readers, and the visual element makes reading and storytelling fun for all. Hear from our graphic novel creator, Edward Ross, for more tips.
7. Random Page Reading
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What to Do: Open a book at random, read a short passage aloud, and challenge pupils to predict the direction of the story.
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Why It Works: This teaser-style approach builds intrigue and motivation to read. Extracts from our Book Club pick can be found here.
8. Book Pitch Session
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What to Do: Each pupil chooses their favourite book, and ask them to “pitch" it in a fun way – think Dragon’s Den but for books! For instance, "Do you enjoy creepy mysteries and unexpected friendships? Then you need to read Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick!" The winning pitch is the book that you read for the next breakfast club sessions.
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Why It Works: A personalised pitch adds excitement and makes books feel approachable. It also encourages pupils to choose their titles, with promotes engagement. For more info about the role of student choice, check out this blog from experts and former teachers, Derek Reedy and Alice Reedy.
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Next level: Set up a book battle and vote on which book to read the following week!
Make Reading Enjoyable and Memorable
By adding these quick activities to your daily or weekly schedule, you’ll create an atmosphere where books are celebrated and reading feels like an adventure. Whether you only have five minutes or a little longer, every moment spent fostering a love for reading will leave a lasting impact.