See more ideas about teaching reading, reading workshop and teaching. This is the first installment in a series of seven posts with ideas and suggestions for running effective literacy circles or book clubs with students from second grade through high school. But no matter if you are a book club purist or a book club hybridist, here are three steps with four free guides for setting up and assessing book clubs in your classes. My high school has a student lead book club and i was elected our president. Creating book clubs in the english language classroom. Mar 01, 2012 book clubs are great to use for students from elementary to high school. One of the cornerstones of book club is student choice, and this element begins with allowing students to select their text. Try using a classroom book club, which is a great way to enrich, engage, and differentiate in. Some of the rules may seem like common sense but making sure everyone is on the same page helps avoid unnecessary conflict. Imagine your students gathered in small groups around the room, actively sharing their thoughts, opinions, and questions about what theyve just read. Teaching reading in middle and high school can be challenging.
Having established rules can be especially important if you are starting a book club thats open to the general public. I knew when i moved to 7th grade that book clubs would be one of the things that moved with me. The fishing club is for students who enjoy fishing. A book talk could sell your students on the idea of picking up a new title or author or give them the push they need to.
Provide meaningful selections during book clubs, i offer five or six books that are related either to a whole class text or to each other by topic, theme, genre, or author. In my own book club, we all read a book chosen by the next hostess. Aug 05, 2017 classroom libraries are a beautiful thing, but in order to effectively run a book club, you need more than a classroom library can provide, unless you are limiting students choices to a certain list of options. The second post details how to establish expectations and create a schedule, and the third post discusses accountability and assessment procedures recent literacy research has revealed that choice is the key ingredient in a successful reading program, especially for reluctant readers. Your students will love the choice and autonomy of book clubs. The classroom book clubs method is more relaxed and less structured than many forms of literature circles, and its flexibility makes it more adaptable to a variety of classrooms and students. Coatess debut novel mixes magical realism with historical fiction as it tells the story of hiram walker, who joins the underground railroad and then discovers he has a supernatural power called conduction that allows him to basically use water as a transporter. I called my literature circles book clubs because i wanted my students to love books like i did with my own book club. Popular high school book club books showing 150 of 721 the graveyard book hardcover by. My daily classroom management strategies high school. The advantages of a book club in a middle school classroom. You want your students to read more, but the books arent exactly flying off the classroom bookshelves.
Hold a class meeting if there is an issue and have the students come up with a solution to the problem. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center. Student participants read one book per month, and the staff works with parents to ensure that the books are appropriate and not core literature used by teachers for instruction. See more ideas about school reading, book club books, reading classroom. The book explains how book clubs support students need for extensive reading and high interest reading. Online book clubs for middle and high school students 2. When book club members join you in a lunch bunch meeting, you can rely on kidwatching to note how students are developing as readers. Charity clubs are clubs that are linked to a specific charity with the goal of raising awareness, working for that charity, or raising money for that charity such as operation smile. The second post details how to establish expectations and create a schedule, and the third post discusses accountability and assessment procedures recent literacy research has revealed that choice is the key ingredient in a successful reading program, especially for. We meet in a private facebook group and chat about a new book every month. Aug 07, 2018 when i introduce book clubs, i explain why i selected the books and seek to generate interest by sharing a brief summary of each one along with an excerpt i particularly love.
This is the fourth installment in a series of posts with ideas and suggestions for running effective literacy circles or book clubs with students from second grade through high school. Book clubs are great to use for students from elementary to high school. These projects all demonstrate a connection and comprehension of the novel while giving students a choice in how they are assessed. The classroom book clubs program is a variation of traditional literature circles in which groups of students read the same book and have weekly meetings to discuss their thoughts and feelings about the book. Elementary school book clubs are a great way to engage children while developing their critical thinking skills and keeping them interested in reading. So, when i can cut down on what i might be doing in my english class that causes.
Showing our students, parents, and colleagues how this works through digital book clubs is one way this can happen. The questionanswer relationship qar strategy helps students identify questions as in the book or in my head so that they know whether to draw on their own impressions or the book for answers. You will love the selfdirection, motivation, and authentic reading, writing, and responding to literature that book clubs will bring to your classroom. Nov 30, 2010 but the rabbit hole of nostalgia that i tumbled into was of my experience as a teacher facilitating literature circles. Book choice students can choose within book clubs their top choices on what book they want to read. These lessons can also be taught to the entire class or to certain groups on an. Putting 100 plus students together in an online community to have conversations can be scary. Classroom book clubs is a narrated slidecast that describes a fun and effective method of doing literature circles. This is helpful for the times when you may forget to take your attendance and when there is a substitute. Book clubs that are open to all students in your school provide an opportunity for readers from different classes and levels to connect.
So here are some of my daily practices to make sure your classroom runs smoothly. Jchs book club will meet once every 9 weeks to discuss a previously read book. Neil gaiman goodreads author shelved 3 times as highschool bookclub avg rating 4. Penguin school and library offers the best resources for educators and librarians. I first discovered this topic after seeing teacherauthor penny kittle speak about them at the reading for the love of it literacy conference in toronto last february. This means that they will meet with their groups 46 times, so this will equates to approximately 50 pages of reading across 5 weeks for a 250page book. At the beginning of the year, i told my students about how i belonged to a book club and i explained how book clubs work. What is a book talk your guide to making them work in. Text to self is a great opportunity for students to become introspective. Students share fishing locations, procedures and tips. Book clubs for secondary classrooms faulkners fast five. Classroom book clubs, like literature circles, empower students to lead their own learning through studentled conversations. A novel study is a central pillar of the high school english classroom no matter what the current curriculum shift may be. Shop the scholastic teachers store for books, lesson plans, guides, classroom supplies and more.
The breakfast book club is organized by the pta and begins in the spring when a lead parent collaborates with teachers to select a book list for each grade level. Virtual book clubs can help engage students in independent reading by giving them opportunities to stay connected beyond the classroom, says ryan kinser. A guide to making book clubs super successful and simple in your classroom. Matt renwick is a 15year public educator who began as a 5th and 6th grade teacher in a country school outside of wisconsin rapids, wi. Try using a classroom book club, which is a great way to enrich, engage. What is a book talk your guide to making them work in the. Book clubs are informal discussions about books that can be used in the classroom to motivate students and to encourage comprehension and exploration of text. The reading is not evaluated in the traditional way. The power of literature circles in the classroom edutopia.
Minilessons that support effective book clubs center for the. We announce the book selection on the first monday of the month and discuss on the. How to run a fullchoice book club in your classroom. Fostering strategic readers in the secondary classroom, cindy odonnellallen outlines several common characteristics of studentled book clubs. The social aspect and autonomy of book clubs appeal to middle school students and provide. I would not have gotten student buy in if i had not had an honest conversation with them beforehand. I still wanted it to have a readforfun concept, so we have friday book clubs. Looking to expand your classroom library or learning resources. Middle school students are typically social and like to talk. Grab this among the hidden novel unit for the popular book by margaret peterson haddix to save hours of prep for literature circles and book clubs in the classroom or as a part of distance learning. Effective literacy circles and book clubs center for the. In my class, students use folders that stay in the classroom and hold all of their work.
A novel study is a central pillar of the high school english classroom no matter. This post is the first in a threepart series about how to run a book club in your classroom. Book clubs is a place to share a love for reading and to watch your students devour books and have rich discussions about the text. Ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school. However, when book clubs are not going well, teachers need to intervene. This website uses cookies and third party services. So what do book clubs in the middle school classroom need to be successful. Jan 19, 2020 hobby clubs are clubs that stem from an interest in a hobby that most likely wouldnt be taught in high school such as chess, anime, video games, and skiing. The book club was voluntary and free, with the district providing the meeting place and the books. Ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school april 10, 2017 april 10, 2017 pernille ripp in 2015, i wrote a post discussing how i was doing book clubs with my 7th graders and how their ideas had shaped our process to be more powerful. Book clubs build community in the classroom, get students excited about reading, and break up the daytoday routine. Scholastic book clubs childrens books for parents and. The hardest part of book clubs, for a lot of teachers, is sitting back and watching the class take the reins. Scholastic book clubs is the best possible partner to help you get excellent childrens books into the hands of every child, to help them become successful lifelong readers and discover the joy and power of good books.
The book explains how book clubs support students need. But, when i started book clubs a few years ago i made some big mistakes. Classroom book clubs transformed my reading instruction and led to huge gains in my students reading comprehension and fluency. Students choose between creating a summarization storyboard, a graphic novel of the book or selected section of the book, performing a scene from the book with a context book talk, or writing a character journal. They needed a chance to vent all of their frustrations with book clubs in order to see how this time around they might be different. See more ideas about high school books, book club books and bluford series. When youre starting a book club it helps to set some ground rules to help ensure that all of your attendees feel welcome and want to return. Her discussion prompted me to go back to my classroom and try out this strategy with my two grade 8. If you belong to a book group yourself, you will know that the pleasure of reading is multiplied when we share our ideas, explore differences of opinion and find common interests. Book clubs and partnerships play a crucial role in supporting student comprehension and also in making the reading process a social one nichols, 2006. Apr 10, 2017 ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school april 10, 2017 april 10, 2017 pernille ripp in 2015, i wrote a post discussing how i was doing book clubs with my 7th graders and how their ideas had shaped our process to be more powerful.
Link your experience to no more than four situations that occurred within the text. Today, ill explain why i use book clubs as an integral part of my reading block, and how to launch thriving book clubs in just one week like literature circles, book clubs put students in the drivers seat and require kids to take ownership of their reading. I also have struggled over the years getting the quality of conversation i wanted to come out of the lit. She learns to rely on her inner strength and the support of her family.
Creating book clubs lays out a successful threepart model in which students read, discuss, and make book log entries that the authors developed in their own multilevel adult esl classroom. The classroom book clubs method is more relaxed and less structured than many forms of literature circles, and its flexibility makes it more adaptable to a variety of classrooms. Books clubs can be an effective way to use these natural tendencies as a positive tool to engage middle school students in literature. And, its more persuasive than expositorythink sales and marketing. Jesse aarons knows all about hard work, but his new friend leslie. Jul 02, 2018 a book talk is a short presentation about a book with the goal of convincing other people to read it. There are no dues, but students must obtain a copy of the current book on their own and read it before the club meeting. While its tempting to stick with your cliche, a book club is a great way to extend your circle and get to know new people. Differentiation you can put book club groups together based on reading levels and also interests 2. That shared reading experience where students would get to just read and discuss is something i have loved having in the classroom the past few years. For my fifth grade students, i always give them a number of different choices of books.
I may be biased, but moms book nook is the best online moms book club youll find. I get kind of giddy and dreamyeyed when i remember what it felt like to circulate through a class of seventh graders meeting in lit circles, when i remember their arguments about a characters actions, or the postits covered in notes that stuck out of the pages, or the. Whether youre considering a classroom book club for the first time, or are already guiding your students through their third book this year, heres a list of benefits and some tips for success you can employ right away. How to do book clubs in the middle school classroom. A group of high school students sitting in a circle, discussing a book. I typically run book clubs for 46 weeks depending upon the time of year and unit of study, and book clubs will meet once per week usually on thursdays. As stated in previous sections of this series, mini lessons are not a necessary part of literacy circles book clubs. Want to see these questions in action, and join a fun monthly online book club no awkward silences, promise. Book clubs are a voluntary, studentcentered activity.
In a book talk, the goal is to engage the listeners and present a fun, exciting, and even suspenseful commercial for your book. Mar 20, 2014 you may be wondering how thats possible. Students in the fishing club socially network to find other anglers in the mt hebron high school community. Finally, they need to connect reading, writing, and conversation because these activities are important for classroom book clubs. Based upon a book you have just read, share a story about yourself that is related to an event or character that was in the book. While this professional text is designed with middle and high school students in mind, its principles also apply to younger readers. Book clubs bring challenges in class management and assessment, but. Request author visits, browse books by grade level, find classroom activities, and more. Book clubs are the perfect way to get your readers reading. Differentiation you can put book club groups together based on reading levels and also interests. The social aspect and autonomy of book clubs appeal to middle school students and provide motivation as well as opportunities to expand knowledge. Scholastic book clubs childrens books for parents and teachers.
In this lesson, which can also be used in the sixthgrade classroom, introduce qar through a readaloud, sorting questions as they are answered and. In 201617, my ninth graders read popular young adult titles by authors such as john green, rainbow rowell, and ernest cline. Oct 14, 2015 setting up a book club in school reading groups and book clubs are a hugely popular way of engaging readers and are a way into opening the box of reading delights. Middle school book clubs may help motivate readers.
It is probably best done in the form of a written recount. A book talk may be just the tool you need to engage your students in a new book. Spoiled princess esperanza moves from her familys ranch in mexico to a migrant camp during the great depression. Even though youll be keeping track of attendance in your grade book, the attendance manager will also take attendance in this folder. Nycs district 75 published their middle school units of study, developing autonomy when engaging with literature, online. Student helpers in the high school classroom scholastic. Book clubs is definitely a place to pull listening and speaking grades and we also use them for work completion grades, but to us, book clubs is not a place for grades. Her discussion prompted me to go back to my classroom and try out this strategy with my two grade 8 classes. Literature circles for reluctant high school readers. I have grown my classroom library over a long period of time. Book sets for classroom libraries featuring guided.