Turn Your Old Scholastic Flyers Into The Perfect Reading Center
I was making room for some new stem materials I ordered for my classroom two weeks ago, and I came across my stash of old Scholastic flyers. Occasionally we will get extra sets delivered to a generic “first grade teacher” to my school or I might not send a set of flyers home one month if, for example, we are already having a Scholastic book fair at school. Whenever that happens, I put the unused flyers in a drawer to save for later.
When I saw my drawer filled of Scholastic flyers, it reminded me of one of my favorite go-to reading centers that I’ve been using for years- and honestly, I should probably share it more often because it’s such a simple win!
If you’re a teacher that’s on the look for easy, hands-on center practice, this activity is for you! Those Scholastic flyers you’ve been saving (or maybe shoving in a drawer like me) are actually perfect for reviewing/practicing fiction vs. nonfiction! I’ll cycle this activity back into my centers throughout the year, and it never gets old.
Here’s the thing- students think they’re just playing with catalogs, but they’re actually getting solid practice identifying text types. Plus, it literally costs nothing and takes about 30 seconds to set up!
What You Need (Spoiler: You Probably Already Have It!)
- Old Scholastic flyers
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pencil
- That’s it!
How It Works
Students fold a piece of construction paper in half and label one side “Fiction” and the other side “Nonfiction.” Then they get to cut out books from the Scholastic flyers and sort them into the correct categories. (I normally say at least three fiction and three nonfiction to start off the year.)
I tend to tape a construction paper with the labels “fiction” and “nonfiction” up in the room so they can easily copy the headings when it’s time for them to do the center. We ended up doing it for centers last week and to start off the year when I went over this center, I provided a little more support by gluing an example of each on it.
Why This Center is Pure Gold
Zero prep time: Just grab Scholastic flyers and paper. No laminating, no cutting ahead of time on your part, no complicated directions to explain.
Self-differentiating – Struggling readers can focus on obvious picture books while advanced students tackle chapter books and series they might not be familiar with.
Engaging – It feels like anything but work! Students genuinely get excited about this center.
Builds book knowledge – They’re discovering new titles they want to read. I can’t tell you how many times students have asked their parents to order books they found during this activity.
Perfect for any time of year – Works with Scholastic flyers from any season, and different themes keep it feeling fresh.
Easy Extensions to Keep It Interesting
Once students master the basic sorting, you can add these simple extensions:
- Have them explain their thinking for tricky books
- Count how many books are in each category and compare
- Create a “books I want to read” list from their discoveries
- Sort by additional categories like genre, grade level, or series vs. standalone books
- Write a sentence about why they’d want to read a particular book
Making It Work All Year Long
I love cycling this back into my rotation every few months with different Scholastic flyers. The seasonal themes and new book releases keep it feeling fresh, plus I always have this activity ready to go when I need a quick, engaging center that requires zero prep on my part.
Pro tip: I save flyers throughout the year specifically for this center. When I need something fast or want to switch up the routine, I just grab a stack and we’re good to go! I keep them in a drawer so they’re always within reach.
Sometimes the simplest activities are the ones that stick. This little center has been a classroom favorite for years, and I’m always amazed at how excited students get about “book shopping time.” They’re practicing essential reading skills, discovering new books, and having fun.
The best part? You probably have everything you need sitting in your classroom right now. Those Scholastic flyers that seemed too good to throw away? They actually are too good to throw away!
Here’s to saving you time & using what you already have!!
Looking for More Zero-Prep Reading Center Ideas?
If you love simple centers that actually work (and require virtually no prep on your end), be sure to read about why I love using Boom Cards for centers. Some of my favorite for reading centers include:
❤️ First Grade Spelling Practice Boom Cards Bundle: a year’s worth of targeted phonics practice that requires NO prep on your end!
❤️ Syllables Boom Card Bundle for Phonological Awareness
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