Making It More Meaningful and Memorable With Masks!

I have found that even the shyest of students become more vocal and less inhibited when they can "hide" behind a mask and "become" someone "different!

My Y5’s LOVED making and wearing masks. I’d have them partner up after a story, don their mask and retell it to the other “raccoon” or “bear”.

It’s a fun way to help ignite a child’s imagination and reinforce a Common Core State Standard at the same time.

It never ceases to amaze me how they really “get into” the “characters” of the story this way, and it’s so quick and easy to do!

The packet includes directions and patterns to make 30 masks.

Act out books, poems, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales.

Pass them out and when that character is talking in the book, have the child wearing that mask stand up, or read their “lines” like a reader’s theater.

Use them to count when you’re reading counting books.  As you read and count a new character stands up.  When you’re done, count all the characters forwards and backwards as they sit down.

Make them for special holidays and celebrations.

Finally, make a few of your own.   Laminate them, hot glue a Popsicle stick to the bottom and make your story time come alive!

Click on the link to view/download Mask Packet.

If there are some more masks you’d like to see, shoot me an e-mail, diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here and I’ll start a new list for a new packet.

If you're looking for more creative tips to enhance your story time, click on the link to view/download my Storytelling Ideas Book.  It's filled with 260 simple tricks to add some zing!

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” –Richard Steele