A Family Event is a special occasion to get students' families to your school and to celebrate reading as a family. A Family Event is an excellent way to build excitement for you Fair.
The best time to host your Family Event is usually halfway through your Book Fair week. Host your Family Event during the school day, during the evening or on weekends - whatever works best for your families.
Family involvement with the Book Fair is critical to its success. A Family Event gives parents/guardians a better understanding of their child's reading interests, reading level and reading potential - it gets families reading together!
Here are some ideas:
Small events: Try hosting several smaller events, one per year level, throughout the week.
Breakfast events: Hold a morning event for busy parents so they can swing by before school to look at the Fair.
Book parade: Award prizes for the best dressed
Grandparents' day.
Family reading times where parents/guardians can come in and read with their child.
Combine with other school activities such as Open Night, school choir or band performances, Presentation Night or parent-teacher interviews.
Art exhibition of posters created in art classes.
The Classroom Wish List Program is designed to expand classroom libraries via donation.
The Classroom Wish List Program should run throughout the duration of the Book Fair; however, class lists are best organised before hand by each individual class teacher.
So that students have greater variety and current titles available to them during key reading times. The Classroom Wish List program helps build and refresh classroom libraries.
Here are a few suggestions to get the Classroom Wish List Program up and running:
Display the Teacher's Preview poster in the staffroom and personalise invitations to each classroom teacher.
Host a Teacher's Preview for all classroom teachers when you have the Book Fair set up.
Explain what the Classroom Wish List Program is and how it benefits their classrooms.
Ask each classroom teacher to browse the Book Fair and note title on donation list.
Create a Classroom Wish List display and showcase at the entrance of your Book Fair.
Student Wish List is a take-home form provided to each student so that they can browse the Book Fair and write down the titles of books that they are interested in.
Student Wish Lists are best conducted during a scheduled class preview time so that the classroom teacher is able to assist with their students' choice in terms of reading ability.
Student Wish List not only gives parents and family members an indication of what their child's reading interests are, but also creates excitement about books and the Book Fair among your students.
Collaborate with class teachers to work out the best times for their class preview.