Reading Activities for Women’s History Month

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I love incorporating reading in my lesson plans, but it’s not always my students’ favorite thing. Because of that, I will often “sneak” in a quick reading activity here, or there, but not spend the entire class period reading a text, because that’s just not as engaging for them. Here’s 5 ideas for how you can “sneak” in reading on notable women all month long. Plus, I have an easy bell ringer you can use as a post and go start of class every day! Check out these reading activities for Women’s History Month in Spanish class!

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Create Impact with Quick and Flexible Activities

Another way to keep reading activities for Women’s History Month meaningful without overwhelming your class is to rotate through formats. One day it might be a bell ringer, the next it could be a station activity, and then maybe you close the week with a creative writing response based on the reading. This flexibility allows you to adapt based on your students’ energy and your pacing needs.

If you use interactive notebooks, you can easily incorporate short readings and responses into those pages. Or, post a reading on the board and have students walk around to read and respond on sticky notes. It keeps it active without requiring any tech or massive prep.

March is a perfect month to show off the power of strong women, and keep your students engaged in Spanish. Try one or two new reading activities for Women’s History Month and see which one becomes your class favorite.

Reading Activities for Women’s History Month in Spanish Class

Station Activities

I love stations and you’ve heard me talk about how to make them run smoothly before in my post on streamlining stations for Spanish class. Put a few of the readings at a station and use them to practice reading in a station or center rotation. You could even use the bell ringer activity I’ve shared below as the comprehension activity at your station!

Free Voluntary Reading

I have a much more in-depth post explaining Free Voluntary Reading (FVR), so if you’re new to the concept make sure you check that out here! These readings make a great option for another reading option to add to your classroom library. They include a “cover” and last page so you print, staple, then you have a mini book for your classes.

Warm Up

Pull out one of the readings and use it for warm up. You can create comprehension questions, or have students translate – or just use the ones I’ve already made for you! Grab a free pdf in Spanish and English in the free resource library on my blog.

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Translation

A simple option is to have students do a horizontal translation with a paragraph. They read the paragraph and then re-write it from another perspective. For example, “she” instead of “I”, or “we” instead of “they”! Horizontal translation is also a great way to practice shifting perspectives.

While we don’t ALWAYS want our students to translate to show comprehension, it’s fine to mix it up. You could always have them just translate a reading to show understanding!

Mentor Text

Especially after doing the bell ringer questions all month, use a reading as a mentor text. Students read it, then write their own version about themselves or their lives, or another person in history. The PDF in the free resource library has these instructions, too!

Expand Your Reading Activities for Women’s History Month

If you’re looking to bring more meaning and variety into your March lessons, adding diverse reading activities for Women’s History Month can be the perfect way to do it. You do not need to dedicate entire class periods to reading for students to feel inspired. A few short, high-interest texts can go a long way when paired with interactive follow-up. One of my favorite things to do is pick a mini reading and layer in a few comprehension and discussion prompts. Even if your class only spends ten minutes with it, the payoff is big.

Want to make it even better? Tie in a short class discussion afterward. Ask students what surprised them, what questions they still have, or which woman they found most inspiring. These kinds of post-reading reflections are what take a lesson from good to memorable. Plus, they create space for natural Spanish conversation.