Last year, our whole school went all-in on a space theme, and I knew I wanted my hallway to do more than just look cute — I wanted it to actually get kids excited about reading. That’s how the Space Themed Reading Bulletin Board Kit was born.
The Problem With Most Reading Bulletin Boards
You know the drill: a bulletin board that looks great in August and then just… sits there. No one looks at it past the first week. I wanted something that would pull double duty — decorate the hallway and keep reading goals front and center all year. Not to mention that it saved us from having to do much more work throughout the year for seasonal updates!
Mission Control for Reading Goals
With a space theme, the idea clicked immediately: turn the bulletin board into “Mission Control” for our reading goals. Instead of a static display, it became something my 3rd graders actually checked in on — tracking their progress like astronauts logging a mission.
The kit includes:
- Eye-catching galaxy-themed posters with motivational reading messages
- Clipart to customize the display for your own classroom or hallway
- A design that works great for tracking Accelerated Reader (AR) goals, but flexes for any reading incentive system
Messages like “Reading takes you to infinity and beyond” and “Explore galaxies of imagination, one story at a time” gave the board a little personality — kids started referencing the phrases on their own, which is exactly the kind of buy-in you hope for.
Pairing It With Goal Tracking
The posters set the tone, but I wanted students to have some skin in the game too. So alongside the bulletin board, we used my AR Goal Tracker cards to give each student their own quarterly goal card — a place to record their Accelerated Reader point goal, their book range, and track their progress with a simple 10%–100% visual tracker.
Every quarter, students got a fresh card, set a new goal, and could see their own progress build over the year. It turned the hallway display from something kids just walked past into something they had a personal stake in — their own numbers were part of the mission too. The two resources are sold separately, but they were made to work together, and pairing them made the whole reading push feel a lot more cohesive.
Try It Free First
If you want to test the vibe before committing, grab the Space Themed Reading Posters (Free Sample) — it includes three of the mini posters from the full kit, ready to print and hang today.
Get the Full Kit
Ready to launch your own reading Mission Control? The Space Themed Reading Bulletin Board Kit has everything you need to put it together in an afternoon — no repainting the hallway required. It’s designed for grades 2–5 and works whether you’re building a brand-new display or refreshing a tired one.
If you want to add the goal-tracking piece too, check out the AR Goal Tracker | Accelerated Reader Goal Cards — it comes with 4 border designs, so you can pick a style that matches your classroom (or your space theme).
👉 Pin this post or save the freebie now so you don’t lose it — it’s a great low-lift way to try the space theme before the full kits land in your cart.
Have you done a space-themed classroom or hallway? I’d love to hear how you made it work — drop a comment below!
