"Those speech bubbles are so cute." I shudder. Cute? Well, yes, I admit they are darn good-looking speech bubbles. (Credit Sarah Pecorino for the lovely clip art in the photos.) But look past the cuteness and you'll see a tool. A tool that can reap intense thinking from your students during your reading instruction. Here are five ways to use speech bubbles when reading literature: Try using speech bubbles as a vehicle for your students to interact with the characters in a text. To actually talk to a character. Doing so can entrench a student into the story. Not only are they following the plot, now they are putting themselves in it. Have them offer advice to a character, connect to a difficult situation by telling a character about a similar experience, or give information that would help a character out of a sticky situation. Sticky notes work perfectly to do this while reading. Students can pause, jot down a speech bubble, and stick it right in ......