OTT 241 When Stories Come Alive: How Makerspace Activities Deepen Reading Comprehension

What if the pages of a book could literally come to life in a child's hands? That's the transformative power of combining makerspace activities with reading—a strategy that's changing how kids experience stories.

When I first became a school media specialist, I inherited a neglected library where students dreaded their visits. Books were piled high, the space was uninviting, and enthusiasm for reading was non-existent. My goal wasn't just to get kids reading; it was to make them beg to come to the library. The solution? Letting them play. By introducing Legos, building materials, and creative supplies, I created a gateway to literacy that worked like magic. Kids who came to tinker soon became kids who came to read.

This episode explores three powerful makerspace projects that turn passive reading into interactive adventures. First, engineering a story setting allows children to build the Three Little Pigs' houses or Mr. McGregor's garden from Peter Rabbit using simple materials. Second, character-inspired design challenges have kids creating solutions for story problems—like designing a raft for the Gingerbread Man or the perfect chair for Goldilocks. Finally, stop-motion animation brings storytelling into the digital age as children create mini-movies of their favorite tales.

These hands-on approaches work because they engage multiple learning styles, foster empathy, strengthen comprehension, and preserve imagination. When children physically interact with story elements, reading transforms from a chore into an exciting creative process. The subtle shift from "have to read" to "get to read" makes all the difference.

Ready to try these activities with your own young readers? Download my free Makerspace Story Guide from the description for book recommendations perfectly suited for these projects. Then share your experiences in the comments—I'd love to hear how your children respond to these hands-on reading adventures. Subscribe to ensure you don't miss future episodes where we'll continue creating joyful, confident readers, one page at a time!

Freebies:

Makerspace Book List:

https://www.trinadeboreeteachingandlearning.com/elabooksformakerspace

Makerspace Start-Up Kit:

https://www.trinadeboreeteachingandlearning.com/msstartupkit

5-Minute Reading Fix For Parents:

https://trina-deboree-teaching-and-learning.kit.com/500af75f4b

Subscribe and Review:

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to One Tired Teacher.
Episode 241, books Come to Life.
So today we're going to talkabout makerspace.
We're going to talk about books, about engaging, how to really
bring stories to life.
Hope you stick around.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to One Tired Teacher.
And even though she may need anap, this teacher is ready to
wake up and speak her truthabout the trials and treasures
of teaching here.
She is wide awake.
Wait, she's not asleep rightnow, is she?
She is awake right.
Okay, from Trina Devery,teaching and Learning your host,
trina Devery.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Hi, what if reading didn't just happen on the pages
of a book?
What if kids could build andcreate and experiment with books
?
In today's video, I'll show youthree simple Makerspace STEM
activities that bring books tolife.
These hands-on projects willhelp kids deepen comprehension,

(01:06):
boost creativity and turnstories into interactive
adventures.
Perfect for reluctant readers,hands-on learners and kids who
love to tinker.
Hi, I'm Trina Devery, and thisis Readers in the Making.
Hope you stick around.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Hope you stick around .

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Here's what you're going to learn.
You're going to learn how toconnect books with hands-on
creativity.
You're going to learn easymakerspace projects that bring
stories to life.
And you're going to learn howSTEM-based reading activities
improves comprehension andengagement.
And also, if you stick around,you can grab my free Makerspace
story guide, which is allstories that you can use with

(01:53):
Makerspace.
So so much fun, and that'savailable in the description
below.
So let's get to it.
Why hands-on learning helpskids engage with books.
So first I need to tell you alittle story about when I first
became the media specialist.
I walked into a giant mess inthe library.

(02:13):
Books were piled on the floorlike almost as tall as I am and
I am 5'10", so it was reallytall piles of books, 10.
So it was really tall piles ofbooks, dirty tables, dirt
everywhere.
Kids were unhappy, kids weremiserable.
Kids didn't like coming to thelibrary.
Now, my sole goal was to getthem in there.

(02:35):
My goal was to get them to comein there, want to be in there,
love being in there, ask to bein there, beg to be in there.
They just love the library andI wanted them to love reading,
but I knew I had to have agateway to that reading.
I knew I had to have somethingthat sparked them so that I

(02:55):
could ease on in with the loveof reading.
So kids, like I said, theyhated to come, but I was bound
and determined to change thatand the first thing I needed to
do was win them over.
So and this also might be truefor your child as well so the
first thing that I did was Iwowed them with how I set up the

(03:16):
library.
I mean, that's a story foranother day, because that was
pretty crazy.
That was pretty incredible,honestly, and I actually have
video of that.
Because it was pretty crazy.
That was pretty incredible,honestly, and I actually have
video of that, because it wasunbelievable.
So I knew that when they camein that they were going to see
fun supplies like Legos andbuilding bricks and straws and

(03:38):
popsicle sticks and pipecleaners and cardboard and so
much more, and they would thinkthat they were coming in to play
.
Oh, yes, that is the key.
Kids learn best through play.
If we don't know that, it'stime that we start to realize
that and accept that andcelebrate that.
And play is how, that's howthey learn.

(03:59):
So if I knew, if I could winthem over then and I and I let
them feel like they were playing.
Then I could get them hooked onbooks.
Yes, that was the way I wasgoing to get them hooked on
books.
That is how I tied Makerspaceand STEM to literature and you
know what?
It worked like magic.
So let's talk about it thepower of STEM and reading.

(04:21):
So some kids learn best by doing, not just listening.
When they build, when they move, when they create, their brain
processes the story in a deeperway.
Stem projects reinforce problemsolving and critical thinking
and helps kids to connectreading to real world
applications.
Makerspaces challenge andencourage creativity and

(04:46):
engagement, and they makereading exciting instead of a
chore.
And that's really the key.
We want kids to move away fromfeeling like reading is a task
that they have to do, and wewant them to think that reading
is a task that they get to do.
There's that subtle shift, butit makes a huge, huge difference

(05:07):
.
So let's think about it.
If kids love legos, if theylove coding, if they love
building, they love creating,but why not channel this
curiosity into reading?
Today, I'm going to share threeprojects that blend literacy
with stem so that your child caninteract with books in a whole
new way.
If you like what you, whatyou're hearing so far, then give

(05:30):
me a thumbs up.
Let me know in the in thecomments.
Let me know with a thumbs up.
Share this video with somebodythat might help them, because
their child also needs to moveand create while they are
reading.
I would love for you to shareit.
All right, let's talk aboutengineering a story setting.

(05:51):
Engineering a story setting.
So how does this work?
First, you're going to choose abook with a detailed setting
and a challenge, so that kidsare going to use things like
Legos, recycled materials orcraft supplies.
Ask hmm, what does this placelook like?
How would you design it?

(06:13):
And an example of this might bethe three little pigs Build and
test different houses to seewhich one stands up to the big,
bad wolf, or aka a hairdryer.
You could do Jack and theBeanstalk Construct the tallest,
sturdiest beanstalk using pipecleaners or straws.

(06:36):
You could do the Tale of PeterRabbit oh, peter Rabbit.
And design Mr McGregor's gardenoh, my goodness.
If you've read Beatrix Potter'sPeter Rabbit, then you know
that Peter is constantly gettingin trouble in the garden.
So you could build it withfences and paths and hiding
spots for Peter.
The ideas are endless.

(06:58):
You can pretty much do thiswith any book, but I do have a
list of books that will help youget started and help you have
some kind of an idea that, yes,these are going to work really
well for Makerspace or STEM, andI have dropped them in the
description.
So definitely be sure to checkthat out and grab it.
It is a free list.
The ideas really, they reallyare endless.
You can do this with pretty muchany book, but if you need help

(07:20):
getting started, no problem.
All you need is a solid problemin a story to agree to create a
challenge for kids, and allgood books have a problem.
So let's talk about why itworks.
It encourages visualization.
Kids turn words into tangibledesigns.
It boosts comprehension andhelps them picture story

(07:42):
settings and details, whichactually helps them better
understand what's happening andmaybe why it's happening, and
even make predictions to whatmight happen next.
It enhances problem solving.
It forces kids to think likeengineers and fix spots in their
builds, which is really, reallycool.
They're gonna fix those weakspots and fix them in their

(08:04):
building, so they're creatingiterations of solutions.
You're gonna try this tonight.
Pick a book with your child andgive them 15 minutes.
It doesn't require a long time.
Give them 15 minutes.
That's part of the challenge tobuild the setting.
If you wanna give them longer,you can, but sometimes the time,
using time as a constraint is areally good idea because it

(08:25):
gets kids used to oh, mygoodness, I got to put a plan in
action right now and then youare reading the story aloud, so
that's really exciting.
All right, if you like what youhear, definitely give me a
thumbs up.
Let me know it tells me.
Yes, I want more content likethis.
I appreciate what you're doingand I'm a girl of that likes

(08:45):
words of affirmation, I have toadmit, and I appreciate all the
likes and any comments.
So thank you, and if you are soinclined, I would love for you
to subscribe to this channel andbe a part of Readers in the
Making.
It means so much.
I want all kids to feel thelove of reading and I want to
help parents and teachers getthem there.

(09:06):
All right, so let's talk aboutidea number two, or makerspace
project number two.
Excuse me, it's a characterinspired design challenge.
All right, so let's talk abouthow this works.
So have kids design a tool, aninvention or an object inspired
by a character's problem in thestory.

(09:28):
So ask if you were the maincharacter, whoever that might be
what would you create to help?
Hmm, examples.
Let me give you some examples.
The gingerbread man Build araft or a bridge so you can
safely cross the river.
The thing that I love is youdon't want to tell the child

(09:50):
what the answer is.
You don't want to tell them tobuild a craft or a raft or a
bridge.
You want to let them thinkabout what they would do,
because they might not think sologically.
Actually, they might thinkoutside of the box, which is the
beautiful part, and this is thepart you can celebrate.
They might think about I'mgoing to build a plane for them

(10:12):
to fly away.
Or I'm going to build, you know, an imaginary or a cape that
makes me invisible.
Like they can think of so manyother ways, more than just a
bridge or a cape that makes meinvisible.
Like they can think of so manyother ways, more than just a
bridge or a raft.
And that's the beauty of it.
And the younger they are, thebetter they are at this.
I know this is a sad story theolder they get, the less their

(10:37):
imagination is.
Isn't that so upsetting?
I noticed it when I was themedia specialist in my last
school and I was teaching.
I was like filling in for theengineer teacher and my first
graders, my second graders.
They came in, they were liketheir imaginations were on fire.

(10:57):
They were coming up with allkinds of solutions, things I
never imagined.
And then comes my third gradersand they're like and they're a
little bit, and that's becausethat's when the testing year
starts and things start tochange.
But you can change this at home.
You can completely undo this athome.
That is in your power.
Fourth grade that was.

(11:18):
That was a disaster.
They were like I can't do this.
I don't know, I mean justpathetic.
It gets worse and we have tostop this, because we all have
an imagination, but sometimesit's gotten stifled and we've
got to do something about that.
All right.

(11:39):
So another example is Goldilocksand the Three Bears Design a
just right chair.
That's the obvious one thatcomes to mind, but I am sure
there's so many other wonderfulthings that kids will come up
with.
So let them do that.
But we, you know you can.
You can give them constraintsand criteria if they're not
thinking of something you knowyou want it to be strong, but
you want it to be comfy.
And then charlotte's web.

(12:01):
I love charlotte's web.
You create a spider web designusing string and glue or straws.
See, it can be something simplewhere you tell them what it is
to enhance the cre.
You know their, their buildingand their engagement.
But you can also let it beopen-ended and let them figure
out a solution for themselves.
Maybe they figure out asolution for charlotte.

(12:21):
They figure out a solution forCharlotte how are they going to
extend Charlotte's life?
I mean, that's pretty deep.
And then they're reallythinking about it All right.
The best part of focusing onhelping the character is that,
while they're thinking ofsolutions for characters, they
are practicing feeling how thecharacters feel, which is a
great way for kids to practiceempathy.

(12:42):
We are literally empathybuilding and that is powerful.
Let's talk about why it works.
We want to foster empathy.
It helps kids step into thecharacter's shoes and
problem-solve creatively.
It makes reading interactive.
Instead of just listening to astory, they actively engage in

(13:03):
it.
It encourages STEM thinking,which blends engineering and
storytelling.
Try this tonight After readingask what invention could have
changed this story.
Let your child sketch it outand then maybe give them some
time tomorrow to build it.
All right, have you heardanything you like?
Definitely give me a thumbs upand let me know.

(13:25):
I need the words of affirmation, my friend, I need to know this
is resonating with you and youneed more information.
Share it with a friend if youthink it's helpful, and
definitely subscribe so youdon't miss a thing.
All right, so we're going totry, we're going to.
We're going to move on to thenext one, which is storytelling
with stop motion.
Now, this is a little bit ofscreens involved, so if you're

(13:49):
like no screens right now, thisis one you can totally skip.
But storytelling with stopanimation or stop motion is so
fun and it's such a great way ofintegrating technology in a
meaningful way.
So let's talk about how itworks.
We might use clay, papercutouts, legos to create a stop

(14:09):
motion animation video Retellingthe book's key moments.
This is great for retelling.
This is great for comprehension.
Use a simple app like StopMotion Studio to capture frames
and animate the story, like StopMotion Studio to capture frames
and animate the story.
Examples of this might beLittle Red Riding Hood create a
mini-movie of her journeythrough the forest.
The Tortoise and the Hare.

(14:29):
Animate the race and thesurprise ending.
You could do the Three BillyGoats Gruff film the goats
crossing the bridge while thetroll lurks below.
Why does this work?
It strengthens comprehensionskills.
It helps kids retell stories inthe correct order.
It boosts fluency, helps kidsthink about dialogue and
expression.

(14:50):
It encourages creativity a fun,tech-based storytelling
alternative.
So try this tonight.
Pick a short book and have yourkids animate one scene using
play to play to play to or Legos.
All right, so I do have afreebie.
It's right below and it'sstories that go along with
makerspace.
I'll drop it in the descriptionand you can download it today

(15:14):
and you can get some great bookideas that also go along really
well with makerspace.
All right, final thoughts andaction Reading doesn't have to
stay on the page.
Stem and Makerspace projectshelp kids interact with books,
spark creativity and builddeeper comprehension.
So try one of these activitiestoday and then let me know how

(15:37):
it goes.
Let me know how it worked.
Drop a comment below.
What's your child's favoriteway to make reading hands-on?
And again, if you want thosequick, easy, fun makerspace book
and books, then definitely grabthe little freebie below and
don't forget to like this video,to share this video and to
subscribe so that you don't missa thing.

(15:59):
Together, you and I can createjoyful, confident readers.
Readers in the making, one pageat a time.