Pernille Ripp

Last week, I was surprised to be asked to speak at another Danish school about the joy of reading to their 4th-9th grade students. Surprised because I am not really anyone who is invited to anything here in Denmark. And also; when was thelast time I went out to speak to students that weren’t my own?

At first, I was pumped. Getting to talk reading and sharing book joy is something that keeps me smiling. But then, as I thought some more about it, I realized that I was the wrong person to bring in.

Not because I couldn’t do the talk. I can. But because the work that might need to happen is work that needs to happen before someone like me comes in. I don’t believe that an outsider – even someone like me who lives and breathes books – can create the lasting impact they’re hoping for. A spark yes. Inspiration ,yes. But without a foundational change in how we view reading in our buildings, all I will be, is a flash. Someone who (hopefully) created joy, but didn’t really impact the culture, at least not yet.

Instead, I believe the real magic happens when we co-create a shared reading culture within your own school walls. When time is specifically made to decide o which type of reading culture you want to have, and we then take the time not only to protect what is already working, but also create new initiatives.

The best reading culture doesn’t come from one-off visits, but from sustained, daily practices that live and breathe in your classrooms and hallways. It’s about fostering local reading connections: Who are your reading role models? Who will lead the charge and share their own reading journeys, not just during a special event, but every single day?

This is why when we want to build reading joy and ownership among students, it’s essential to think beyond a single day or a single guest speaker. While guest speakers and single days can create the momentum, we need more to keep it going. We need to invest in the small, consistent acts that make reading feel alive, relevant, and shared.

So, what does that look like in practice? Here are some ideas for how you might get started – but don’t forget to also include your students. What would they say the focus should be? What would they say is working? What would they say needs to change?

Readers as Role Models and Community Builders

Student reading ambassadors: Choose students who can share book recommendations, host quick booktalks, or lead reading events across grade levels. Their excitement will hopefully spread.
Staff reading showcases: Create a “We’re Reading…” wall where teachers and staff post photos with their current reads, along with a short note about what they love about them. Let students see that reading isn’t just for kids – it’s for everyone. Or do it individually, I have shared my “Mrs. Ripp is currently reading and loving…” wall many times.
Cross-grade reading buddies: Pair older students with younger ones. Let them read aloud, share favorites, and have conversations about books. It’s about connection and mentorship, not just fluency.
Teacher Reading Swap: Each month, two or three teachers “swap” their current read and do a short booktalk for the other’s class. It’s a great way to cross-pollinate reading excitement and show that adults read widely too.
Surprise Guest Readers: Secretly invite parents, local authors, or even the school custodian to pop into classrooms to read a short passage from a book they love. Let them share why it matters to them – it builds authentic connection.
Digital Book Shoutouts: Start a “Reading Reel” on your school’s social media: teachers and students record 30-second videos sharing a book they’re obsessed with. It’s quick, it’s relatable, and it makes reading feel cool and visible.
Classroom “Book Pods”: Instead of traditional reading groups, let small student “book pods” form around a shared interest (like graphic novels, sports, fantasy, etc.). They self-organize discussions, book swaps, or mini-displays.

Celebrations and Rituals Around Reading

Reading Ritual Starters: Start or end the day with a tiny “bookish moment” — a teacher shares a one-minute excerpt from what they’re reading, or a student shares a sentence they loved from their book. A quiet, daily sprinkle of reading.
Bookmarks of the Week: Students create bookmarks with a favorite quote or character from what they’re reading and swap them with classmates. A small but personal way to celebrate reading lives.
Window Wonders: Encourage classes to decorate a window or small bulletin board with their current favorite reads. It’s not about big displays — it’s about little visual peeks into reading life, shared daily.
Quiet Reading Buddies: Once a week, two students pair up and read their own books side by side, no talking. Just sharing quiet reading time — the focus is on the joy of reading with someone, even in silence.
One New Word: Each day, invite a student to share one interesting word they came across while reading. It’s a micro-moment of wonder and wordplay that sparks conversation without taking over the day.
Mini-Postcard Reviews: Students write a tiny “review” (one or two sentences) on a sticky note or postcard for a book they finished. Collect them in a communal jar or box — a low-key, ongoing celebration of finished reads.
Reading Stretch: Between transitions, teachers read a single sentence from their current read aloud. It’s a way to infuse reading into those spare minutes, normalizing it as a shared part of school life.
Collective reading challenges: Instead of focusing on individual reading logs, have classes or teams set collective goals – like reading enough to travel (on paper) to a new city or country. Celebrate their journey together.

Reflection and Building Reading Identity

“My reading life” maps: Have students draw or write about when, where, and how they read, and what reading means to them. These reflections can be surprisingly powerful.
Reading Time Capsules: Have students create a “reading snapshot” – what they’re reading now, their current favorites, and one book they hope to love next year. Seal it and revisit at the end of the year.
Bookish Mood Boards: Instead of just writing about books, let students create mood boards (digital or physical) to capture the vibe of their current favorite read – colors, textures, images.
“Why I Abandoned This Book”: Normalize that not all books work for everyone. Students can reflect on a book they didn’t finish and why and create a bulletin board. It’s a great way to build critical thinking and give permission to stop reading what doesn’t click.
Reading Playlist Pairings: Invite students to create a short playlist that pairs with the vibe of a book they’re reading. Share the playlists with classmates – a creative, multimedia way to share bookish identity.
“Who am I as a reader?” activities: Structured exercises where students think about their favorite genres, their reading goals, their best reading memories. This builds ownership and identity.
Meaningful reading goals: Move beyond page or book counts. Encourage goals like, “I want to find a book that makes me think,” or, “I want to reread an old favorite and see if it still feels the same.”

Saying no to the speaking invitation wasn’t easy, after all, who knows if I will ever get a chance like that again. But without the other work happening, I am just not enough to create a culture shift for students. Not yet anyway. After all, a reading culture isn’t something you import – it’s something you grow together.

being a student, connections, discussion

A few ideas for generating more student conversation

May 8, 2025 Pernille Ripp

It seems to be a year of extremes; either students won’t stop speaking to one another in class or they hardly say a word. My 2nd graders love to talk. they are a social bunch, they love their classmates, and they love sharing. We have a can’t miss morning meeting every day so they can share what’s on their mind, we have a lot of chat throughout the day. All of it productive, even if it is not the right time.

But what if your students don’t really engage in conversations with each other? Teaching middle school for many years, I would sometimes have classes where one/word answers where the norm, the fear of making a fool out of oneself so strong that even without our classroom, mouths stayed shut and opinions stayed hidden away.

How do we cultivate classroom connections for all of our students? How do we harness the awesome energy that comes from students who want to speak to each other but help it become more learning-focused?

Here are a few ideas for doing just that…

Guess the Source: Provide quotes or excerpts from different sources related to the lesson. Have students guess the source and discuss the context and the credibility.

Soundtrack to the Lesson: Ask students to choose a song that represents the essence of the lesson. Play snippets of the selected songs in class and have them discuss the connections they saw between the music and the material.

Philosophical Chairs: Set up a circle of chairs with sides for “agree,” “disagree,” and “undecided.” Pose a statement and have students physically move to express their stance.Have them turn to an elbow partner to express why they sat where they sat.

Time Capsule Discussion: Imagine creating a time capsule for the school year. Discuss what items or memories students would include and why.

Speed Networking: Students pair up and have a short, timed conversation (e.g., 2 minutes) about a non-academic topic, such as topics found here. Rotate and repeat with new partners.

Problem-Solving Circles: Present a real-world problem related to the lesson. Students discuss possible solutions in small groups and present their findings to the class.

Tech-Free Talk Time: Designate a short period each week for “Tech-Free Talk Time.” What do they already know about a topic? How long can they keep a conversation going without turning to a device to check a statement or learn more? What are the questions they wish they could have used tech to answer? Write them down.

Tech-Enhanced Show and Tell: Combine traditional show and tell with technology. Students bring in an object related to the lesson and create a brief digital presentation. This one is super fun for older students who often don’t get to do a “show and tell.” Another twist is to ask students to bring in their most precious item / or a picture of it – have them share with the class why this is the item they brought in.

Life Soundtrack:If their life had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it? Students share their top three songs and explain why each is significant.

Interactive Storytelling: Begin a story related to the lesson and pause at a crucial point. Each student or group continues the story.

And a few I shared on Instagram as well

Are any of these helpful?

being a teacher

This is How We End the Day

April 29, 2025 Pernille Ripp

Today I ended class much like any other day.

I change my questions based on what we have seen, and what they may need to just sit with for a moment before we say goodbye. The students are ready to say goodbye, and I share a few words about the day, mostly the great and then something we are still working on as a class. Today, it was that we need to trust ourselves before asking an adult for help, and perhaps also notice a bit more when we are interrupting others.

And then I asked; did I have calm in my body when needed? Did I ask questions when I needed to? Did I help others? Did I notice how I impacted other people? Was I a good friend? Did I help make our school a great school to be at?

We are not in a circle when we do this, I don’t follow a script. It grew out of an organic need for reflection and also a peaceful way to say thank you for today. It takes a minute, two tops. And the questions? Well, I come up with them every day, always making sure there is at least one that every kid will be able to say yes to it.

It is a small thing. It seems a lot of impactful changes are. However, when I shared the practice on Bluesky (follow me here) many said it resonated with them. That it offers kids a way to consider their actions and themselves as a part of the whole. That this practice means we get to end in a few minutes of calm, where we reconnect with the whole day, without being lectured, without belittlement, but just a simple invitation for honest reflection and contemplation of who we are, and who we want to be.

Perhaps this is something you could use as well?

What might these questions be? Here are a few that you can use as you develop your own:

Was I able to find peace in my body?
Was I a good friend to others?
Was I able to not create conflict or solve it if it happened?
Did I participate in the learning today?
Did I listen when others spoke?
Did I ask questions when I needed?
Did I take any good chances today?
Did I help make our school a good school to attend?
Did I help make our class a great class to attend?
If Pernille saw my homeadults, would she be able to share I had a great day?
Did I show kindness to someone today?
Did I try my best, even when it was hard?
Did I include others or make them feel welcome?
Did I keep my promises?
Did I share something with someone?
Did I find something to be proud of?
Did I use my time well?
Did I notice someone who needed help and offer it?
Did I take care of the classroom or school environment?
Did I bring good energy to our class today?
Did I learn something new about myself or someone else?
Did I stay curious and open to ideas?
Did I make today better for myself and others?

I usually pick 5-7 depending on the day and I remind the students that they don’t have to share their answers. That this is just for them. At the end, I say the same thing: “And if your answer was no to any of these, then remember that tomorrow is a new day.” The students say it with me, not because I asked them to, but because this is how we end the day. And then we say goodbye.

On Friday’s we say “And if your answer was no to any of these, then remember that Monday starts a new week.” But in Danish, of course.

The students remind me if I am about to forget doing this with them. They take pride both in the days where they can say yes to everything, but also in the days where they reflect and realize that tomorrow is a new day and that they are not defined by their goofy choices. It helps me center the day too, because even in the wackiest of days – and trust me, we have had some that have made me cry due to fights, and awful behavior – there are kids doing good things. We, as a community, are doing good things.

So often community is built in the small moments, in the quiet reflection, so I thought I would offer this up to boost your own practice.

conferences, Reading, Reading Identity

A small tweak for better reading goals

April 24, 2025April 18, 2025 Pernille Ripp

I think we are all really good at setting goals. But goals that we actually attain? Those are harder. So when I think of the reading goal work I do and have done with students, there is a small tweak that has made a big difference: including the why. And not in teacher lingo, but in the everyday kid language that shows us this is something they have truly reflected on.

Why have they chosen what they chose? What should the end result be?

Does it even align with who they are and what they have the capacity for right now?

This small tweak can lead to a deeper understanding of how they want to grow overall and move goals from being checklist items to meaningful pursuits. It can also show us which kids are just setting goals to please the adults or get it off their to-do. There is a lot of parroting that happens in schools, kids know what we teachers want to hear and so often when it comes to setting learning goals, kids tell us what we want to hear. Asking them to pause and add on an answer to “in order to” gives us a chance to open up for much broader conversations, and also continue our focus on developing readers and not “just” reading skills.

I have shared my reading survey before, but here is my 6 week survey that I use every 6 weeks to check in with students. This is where they set new goals and it has been updated with this addition.

being a teacher, Reading, Reading Identity

Using Self-Compassion to Help Readers Grow

April 21, 2025April 18, 2025 Pernille Ripp

Another post first shared on Patreon, but one that is oh so relevant as we continue to attempt to build meaningful reading relationships.

I came across a fascinating article that discussed the three pillars of self-compassion and how actively developing it can help us alleviate anxiety and depression. Immediately, my mind jumped to reading identity and overall school affinity for students. How does self-compassion and seeing your own worth tie in with how we develop and what we are willing to try?

So I have a few ideas for how we can take this work and bring it into our classrooms as a part of what we already do. In my experience, some kids who hate reading have this reaction because of how reading makes them feel; worthless, and so when we focus on developing self-compassion, they can sometimes shift their mindsets into one of awe rather than disappointment.

Reading is an incredibly complex brain capability. It is not something that just happens, but something we have to train our brain to do, thus the need for specific reading skills teaching, as well as positive reading experiences. When kids don’t develop as easily as they see others do, they often turn that inward, seeing themselves as less-than, rather than recognizing that many components need to be in place to develop as a reader and that we inherently develop at different speeds. And we can try to speak this out of existence, but we all know that ultimately the deeper realization needs to come from the child themselves.

Adding these ideas into the reading conferring that hopefully is happening provides us with an opportunity to dig deeper into how kids view themselves as readers, and the next steps they can take in their journey. So it is not that it is one more thing to do, but rather a new lens and line of questioning we can explore with those kiddos who despite all our attempts still hate reading.

I use a lot of surveys with kids in order to see how they view themselves as readers. My beginning of the year one – which can be used any time – can be accessed here but sometimes a quick survey like this one can also be a great way to check in and deepen conversations.

I would love to know your thoughts on this. Do we even have time for this? How do we make the time? What are the conversations we can have with kids that help them take over the ownership of their reading development?

Reading, Reading Identity

Let Students Speak Books: Simple Ideas for a Shared Reading Community

April 20, 2025 Pernille Ripp

I have been thinking, writing, speaking about reading identity and building joyful reading opportunities in school for more than a decade. Ideas still come, but at times, they slow down. After all, there are mnay tried and true ideas that still work, even as they get re-shared throughout the years. We finetune, we adapt, we consider, we reflect, and we put things into practice to see if this little tweak, this little idea is THE idea for helping a child build their reading culture.

We all know so many of the components of a reading environment that works a for a lot of kids. Independent reading time, book choice (As my niece said today, “I only like to read books I decide myself”), embracing diverse preferences not just in reading material but also in how we read, who we read with and how we work with reading. We allow and encourage book abandonment, and we spend precious minutes recommending books to speak books with our students. We lead the way as a committed adult reader who wants to showcase all the paths into reading and why it matters.

Bit it doesn’t always work. Even this, is sometimes not enough. And I get asked a lot; then what. But how can we take it further? Because an adult-centered reading community is an artificial one at length for students. It has an expiration date that lines up with when the adult says goodbye.

This is why some of our time has to be focused on that shift in who is at the center of the reading culture. How can we shift from being the sole source of reading knowledge to cultivating a shared knowledge base? How do we establish and grow a casual reading community that goes beyond just the teacher-student interactions and start to draw in each other as fellow readers?

Like I said, I have shared many ideas throughout the years – in my book, Passionate Readers, this community, and on social media. But here are a few more to get those readers talking, sharing, and seeing each other as the valuable resources that they are.

I have linked to the resources I have created as well.

Choose my Book for Me

Have each child fill in a reading desire sheet: length, genre, format, favorite previous reads etc – see sheet for questions and to make your own.

Then have students identify four people they would like to find a book for – 2 friends and 2 not-yet-friends. Assign two students to each child, ensuring everyone has two individuals to find a book for.

Share the reading desire sheet and let them loose, pulling books they think these people may like.

Pile them up and have them add them to their to-be-read list.

…Then You Might Like

Have students fill out their favorite themes of books on a quick tally sheet.

Then group 3-4 kids into small groups putting them in charge of their chosen theme.

Each group creates an “If you like this book, then you might also like these books…” poster.

Hang and share in your classroom.

Adult Favorites

What do the adults in your schools and community love to read and what would they recommend to someone in your classroom?

Have adults come in or share a recorded brief (2 minutes or less) book talk with students offering their favorite reads for this age group.

Play one every day or create a library where students can access at their leisure.

For ideas for adults with guidelines, go here

Fill a Box

Grab some shoe boxes or other smaller boxes and group 4-5 students together.

Let them loose in your book stacks – collaborate with your librarian if you don’t have a classroom library – and as a group, have them fill each box with recommendations of books they have loved.

Swap boxes with other groups, give a short rundown of titles selected if you want, and have kids write down book recommendations on their to-be-read lists.

1 Minute Book Talk

At the end of independent reading once a week, have students stop and do a 1 minute or less book talk to their table group (or group them together).

Have them share what they are reading, why they chose it, and one other question from this list or ones they make up themselves.

Share the most shocking or surprising moment you’ve encountered in your book so far.
What keeps you hooked and motivated to continue reading this book?
On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rank this book in terms of enjoyment?
Who do you think would enjoy reading this book?
If you could ask the author one question about the book, what would it be?
Share a favorite quote or passage from the book that resonated with you.
Has this book made you see something in a different way? How has it changed your perspective?
Make a TikTok dance or gesture that represents the overall mood or theme of the book.
Imagine if this book were turned into a movie. Who would you cast as the main characters?
Share your favorite character from the book and explain why they’re memorable to you.
If you could recommend this book to anyone (real or fictional), who would it be and why?
Share an interesting fact or trivia related to the author or the book’s setting.
What emotions has this book made you feel?
Show us your reading spot or favorite place to dive into this book.
If you could live in the world of this book for a day, what would you do or explore?
Share a book-related tip or hack that has enhanced your reading experience.
In three words, describe the overall vibe or atmosphere of the book.

Think Like a Marketer

Have students find a book they would like to advertise. Can be one they have read or not.

The goal is now to create an advertising campaign for this to entice as many readers as possible. What should the tagline be? How should the book be photographed? Think like a marketer – how would the book be placed, what props would be present, what would the angle be?

Have students create posters using Canva with their images and taglines and share them around the school as a way to entice further readers. You can even run a campaign and see how many kids end up borrowing the book.

Giving students an opportunity to be the ones that speak books more than the adults is a way to shift ownership. It becomes commonplace when we give it value, time, and space to be developed.

So what are ideas that you like to use? How have you shifted the ownership of the discovery of books into the hands of your students?