Easy Ideas to Make Virtual Reading More Fun

Have you and your students hit a virtual reading brick wall? You’re not alone! This post shares easy ideas to make virtual reading more fun–no matter what online learning platform you use. Hang in there, teacher friend! There’s hope for your distance learning reading time.



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How Can I Make Virtual Reading More Fun?


Have you asked this question anytime during the 2020-2021 school year? If so, welcome to the online teaching club!

You may have even asked, “how can I just get my students to log on during reading time?”

Yep, I’ve been there too.

So, the distance learning reading ideas in this post are a result of experience and lots of research. Here are a few general things to keep in mind before we dive in:

  • Most of the virtual reading tips in this post work best for digital learning. If you want printables to use for your distance learning reading time, I have tons that you can check out here.
  • Many of the things I’ve found require students to have internet access. Here’s a post with tips on how to help students that do NOT have internet.
  • Show yourself and your students lots of grace. I’m sure you already know this one already, but I feel like we teachers don’t hear it enough.

    Even though the struggle has been real, I truly believe lots of beautiful changes will come about from all that we’ve seen this school year.

So, without further ado, let’s dig into some practical ways you can jazz up your virtual reading time and get students engaged with reading online!


Use Mystery Pictures to Make Virtual Reading More Fun


I started using mystery pictures back in November 2020 for a Thanksgiving Day activity and it was an instant hit!

I’ve been using them every month since then to keep students engaged with reading online.

Here’s how they work:

  • Students read the informational text passages on different topics. Each topic has a picture related to it, but there’s a catch: the picture is all scrambled up.
  • In order to see the pictures, students must correctly answer comprehension questions that allow them to β€œsolve” the mystery picture.

It is music to my teacher-ears when I hear students asking for more reading because they want more mystery pictures to solve!

st.-patricks-day-ideas-for-teachers
Here’s an example of a recent Mystery Pictures reading comprehension set. Students read the history of St. Patrick’s Day, then answer text-aligned questions to put the picture together.


This type of virtual reading activity helps students refer back to the text often because they must get the answers correct, otherwise, they will not be able to see the final picture.

This unique twist keeps them interested with the reading topic.

Now that I’ve started using them, I can’t get enough of these reading assignments! Here’s a list of the topics I have so far:

If you want alerts of the new sets coming soon, consider following me here on Teachers Pay Teachers to get a heads-up on more topics.


Combine Literacy Apps & Games to Your Online Reading Lessons


Since we’re using devices anyway, why not add in some reading apps and games that make reading more fun?

I have a full list of literacy apps here that are all FREE! Yes, we love when fun and free come in the same sentence.

One reading app that I especially recommend is Novel Effect. (This is not an affiliate link.)

Available for iOS Apple users AND Samsung phones.


It’s a free reading app that has audio recordings of several books that can be used for read-alouds.

But each recording also has music, sounds effects, different character voices, and more.

Of course, the free version doesn’t have as many options and features as the paid subscription, but so far, I’ve found some good book options on there.

This service does not include a physical copy of the actual book. You have to get access to the book yourself.

But once you do, just share your screen to show your students the book OR hold the book up to your camera for students to see the pages while Novel Effects does the rest.


Vooks Animated Storybooks

I love Vooks!

It’s an ad-free library of animated story books that turn read-alouds into video content. That’s where the name comes from: video + books= Vooks.

To try Vooks at no cost for 30 Days, check out more features and sign up HERE.



For your virtual reading, access the books you want through Vooks and share your screen with students to read along.

This actually works for in-class teaching as well; just show Vooks on your projector or Smartboard to students. This works SO well during transitions when you need students seated and engaged quietly!

I especially like how the words to the story show up on the screen with the animations.

They even include lesson plans that can be helpful in saving time.

What I’ve found so far seems to have more content for elementary teachers rather than middle or high school.

So, if you want to spice up your virtual reading, you can get 30 Days FREE here. (affiliate link)


Offer Reading Challenges and Ditch Reading Logs


Another easy idea to make virtual reading more fun is two-fold: first, ditch the reading logs–then offer reading challenges instead.

I use reading challenge bookmarks to encourage more at-home reading, but with a fun twist.

alternatives to reading logs
These reading challenges can be used during the Spring. I also have Winter, Summer, and Fall reading challenges in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Click the image for more details.


I upload these to Google Classroom and ask students to print them out. Once they finish coloring them, they take a picture and send it to me for credit.

When students read certain content at home, they can color in a space on their special bookmarks to show they completed the “challenge.”

Once they complete a certain number of reading challenges, they get a reading award from me.

Boom-Bada-Bing! An easy way to motivate kids to read more while they’re at home.


Do students actually read or do they just color???


This is one of the most asked questions about using reading challenges. It’s a valid question.

The answer for me is yes, most of them follow our class Honor Code system and read before coloring. But it does take a little persuasion and organization on my part to keep it this way.

And notice that I said most…I want to be honest. In my (so far) 12 years of teaching, I’ve never had a group of students where 100% of them had perfect behavior and obeyed every single thing.

However, in general, most of my students love these reading challenges. And all of them enjoy these a lot more than using reading logs.

You know your students and their family situations better than I do, so how you would manage and organize this reading activity depends on your kiddos.

But if this idea intrigues you, I have lots of details HERE on how I use them that will give you more guidance for your own classroom.


Add Color-Coding Informational Text Passages to Your Daily Reading Time

I don’t know if it’s just my students, but nonfiction reading passages always invite complaining and whining. Even though, that’s what they need the most reading practice with!

So I incorporate daily quick-reads that allow my students to digitally color-code their answers. These don’t get any complaining…YAY!

This picture shows a passage on March Madness basketball. Each monthly set has topics that are popular during that month. Click the image to see more topics.



These Google Slides reading activities have high-interest, mini-topics that make them easy to use each day.

Plus, dragging the highlighting boxes to the correct answers makes them less intimidating for students.

They are also super fast to grade. Students are even able to self-check their answers really quickly.

Adding this to your virtual reading routine is especially helpful during test-prep time when you need a more interesting activity to review important reading skills.


Incorporate Digital Literacy Choice Boards


The final easy way to make virtual reading more fun is to use digital choice boards with lots of literacy options.

digital choice boards
If you feel ready to dive right in with using digital choice boards, I have them already set up for you in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. CLICK HERE or click the image.



I love using choice boards!

Upper elementary students want to feel independent and have options. I want less work to do, so this is a win-win for both!

Here’s a brief snapshot of what I do:

  • Set-up my digital boards in advance on Google Slides by typing the reading options in each square. (See the picture above.)
  • Then I break my students into small groups using Zoom Breakout Rooms so that I can differentiate. Different reading needs get different choice boards.
  • Once I model how to use the choice boards, and students are in their breakout groups, they get to choose which literacy activities to complete for that block of time.

I usually do not grade the literacy activities they complete during this time because I just want them to have engaging practice with reading online.

Some of the links and activities I add are things like: digital literacy centers, links to audiobooks, and links to different online reading games, etc.

If possible, I try to have digital literacy center time twice a week online. And choice boards help me manage these online centers.

Choice boards are a wonderful way to make virtual reading more fun!

You may be interested in trying something like this but want more details. I have way more explanations and examples in these posts:

  • digital literacy centers
  • How-I-Use-Choice-Boards


1–Everything You Need to Succeed with Digital Literacy Centers
2–How I Use Choice Boards to Manage Literacy Centers

Whew! Was that a lot of information to take in? Hopefully, you feel inspired and not overwhelmed!

Making virtual reading more fun requires having different options in our teacher tool-belt.

The ideas shared in this post can help you get the balling rolling!

Happy Teaching πŸ˜ƒ

The Butterfly Teacher

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