OTT 250: STEM Books That Win Over Reluctant Readers

Ever noticed how some kids love science and building but turn away from books? That disconnect isn't just frustrating—it's a missed opportunity for deeper learning. What if we could harness their natural STEM enthusiasm to ignite a love for reading?

In this episode, we dive into three exceptional STEM-themed books that captivate reluctant readers by connecting directly to their curiosity and creative instincts. Ada Twist, Scientist shows children that reading can be part of the investigation process, encouraging them to develop their own experiments inspired by Ada's adventures. What Do You Do With an Idea? transforms abstract concepts into hands-on building opportunities, allowing children to explore and express their own ideas through making. And Iggy Peck, Architect bridges engineering challenges with literacy, getting kids moving, building, and thinking critically while engaging with text.

These aren't just reading recommendations—they're complete learning experiences. For each book, we break down exactly why certain children resist reading, how these particular stories address those barriers, and step-by-step activities that extend the reading experience into meaningful STEM challenges. You'll discover how to transform reading from a passive activity into an active, creative process that honors how these children naturally learn and engage with the world.

Whether you're a teacher planning for the upcoming school year or a parent trying to keep learning alive during summer, these strategies require minimal prep while delivering maximum engagement. The secret lies in starting with books that connect to your child's natural curiosities, then giving them opportunities to create something meaningful from what they've read. Ready to make reading irresistible? Grab our free "After the Fall" building challenge in the show notes and subscribe for more practical ideas that blend literacy with hands-on learning.

🎁 Bonus! Download my STEM Story Connection Focusing on Grit in After the Fall 
👉 https://www.trinadeboreeteachingandlearning.com/grit
👉https://www.trinadeboreeteachingandlearning.com/for-the-love-of-reading

Chapters

• 0:00 Episode Introduction
• 1:10 Ada Twist Scientist Book
• 3:32 What Do You Do With An Idea
• 4:48 Iggy Peck Architect
• 5:58 Final Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to One Tired Teacher. Episode 250, make STEM Fun Three Books Kids Actually Want to Read. So today we are talking about we're taking books that really combine science, building or figuring things out, because for those kids that sometimes are like, they love that but they don't love reading, not so much. So what if we use their love of STEM to bring books to life? In today's episode, I'm sharing three high-interest STEM-themed books that inspire curiosity and literacy, plus fun activities that take the learning beyond the page. Hope you stick around. Page. Hope you stick around.

Speaker 1: 0:47

Welcome to One Tired Teacher. And even though she may need a nap, this teacher is ready to wake up and speak her truth about the trials and treasures of teaching here. She is wide awake. Wait, she's not asleep right now, is she? She is awake right? Okay, from Trina Debery, teaching and Learning. Your host, trina Devery.

Speaker 1: 1:11

Hey, so today we're going to talk about three STEM books that reluctant readers will actually enjoy. We're going to talk about matching makerspace, activities to reinforce comprehension and ways to keep it simple, fun and low prep. All right. So we're we're like nearing towards the end of June. Maybe you're starting to think about what you want to do differently in your classroom next year. Maybe you're thinking you know what? I have been listening to your STEM and Makerspace episodes all summer long, trina, and I'm really thinking that maybe I want to incorporate Makerspace in my classroom because I see the value, I see what this can do for my reluctant readers and I know when my reluctant readers love reading it's going to change everything. So if you're feeling like that and you're like yes, yes, yes, then keep listening. So if you're feeling like that and you're like yes, yes, yes, then keep listening.

Speaker 1: 2:08

So let's start with book number one. Book number one is Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beatty. Such a cute story, such a fun book to do. Ada is just such an imaginative young girl who just the sky is the limit it's unbelievable. Young girl who just the sky is the limit it's unbelievable. So kids who ask like questions every five minutes, which we know they often do, especially when they're really little, when they ask that they don't really see reading as a part of their curiosity, because if they did, they would know that they could jump into a book and find some of the answers, some of those questions into a book and find some of the answers, some of those questions, and that's often the problem is that they don't see reading as a solution. So what can we do to shift that? We can invite them to experiment. We can invite them to investigate, just like ada does in ada twist. Help them. We even want to start with something like what's a question you want to investigate? Like Ada, you know, we can help them create a mini science experiment and write down what they learn. Why does this work? This works because it connects reading to real life interests. It also builds storytelling and scientific thinking side by side.

Speaker 1: 3:26

Moving on to book number two, this is one of my favorites what do you do with an idea by Kobe Yamada? Kobe Yamada writes the best books and they always get kids thinking and often can get kids building. So sometimes the struggle is some kids don't see the value in just reading. They don't see it yet. So how can we shift this problem? We can let them turn the story into something that they can build. We can ask questions about what's an idea that you had lately. Have them sketch and build using simple materials, even like the ones that you see here with the Play-Doh and the blocks, or the art supplies, or recyclables Anything simple. Why does this work? This work because we tap taps into creativity and imagination and it encourages ownership of thought and the story. And one of the things that happens in what Do you Do With An Idea is this young boy. He feels like he doesn't know what to do and this idea is like following him around and he's just trying to figure out, like he's trying to figure out his way, which often is how kids can feel, so it's very relatable in that sense.

Speaker 1: 4:45

All right, let's look at book number three. Book number three Iggy Peck Architect. Ah, iggy Peck another book by Andrea Beatty, such such a good author. We often notice that kids get bored when reading feels like passive time. So in books like Iggy Peck and you know the Iggy Peck Architect and Ada Twist these books feel more like doing, and in this case we want to give them a reason to move and create. That's the shift we want to make. We challenge them to build a tower or shelter using only five materials. Iggy builds some incredible structures in the book Iggy Peck, and so this will hopefully motivate them to get moving, get creating. We want to read, build, test, revise, review, reflect all the important critical thinking steps, all the important critical thinking steps. So why does this work. This works because it pairs engineering skills with comprehension and it gets reluctant readers up and engaged.

Speaker 1: 5:55

All right, so final thoughts for today. You want to make reading irresistible. Start with a book that connects to your child's natural curiosities and let them create something from what they read. I have a freebie for you. You can grab it down below. It's a challenge for the book after the fall and it's helping Humpty build, you know, build his comeback. So it gets kids building and thinking. And if you want a little more information, you feel like I need to go deeper into this. I have a workshop for the love of reading unlocking the joy of reading and transforming your child's attitude toward books in just minutes a day. And if you've liked what you've heard, give me a thumbs up. Give me a comment below. Liked what you've heard? Give me a thumbs up. Give me a comment below. Share this with a friend and definitely make sure you subscribe. All right, that's it for today. Bye for now. Until next time. Sweet dreams and sleep tight.