Invite guest readers to read aloud to your class — but they're in disguise. The principal in a funny hat. A parent in sunglasses. The custodian behind a cardboard cutout. Students try to guess who the mystery reader is. They'll talk about it for weeks.

This works because it turns the read-aloud into an event. It associates books with novelty, excitement, and community. And it brings adults from outside the classroom into the reading experience, which shows kids that reading isn't just a thing their teacher makes them do — it's a thing everyone does.