My high school has a student lead book club and i was elected our president. Create a deadline and set a day for book clubs to take place. Many readers are adults here at book riot, but when we were kids, i bet we loved book clubs i know i did. Partner with a language arts teacher at your school or start a book clubtalk of your own. The following eight discussion starters are designed for teacher teams who are working through creating or improving a teacherpowered school.
Minilessons that support effective book clubs center for the. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. As stated in previous sections of this series, mini lessons are not a necessary part of literacy circlesbook. They will practice critical thinking skills while considering the personal impact and perception of literature. Nevertheless it can help to have some prepared questions or statements to kick start the discussion. Therefore, it is oftentimes necessary for a book club to create its own set of questions for discussion. Its more fun to read the same book with your buddies, which is why book clubs are especially great for reluctant readers. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Here are some conversation starters for the book lovers out there. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to.
Students will leave this summer elementary school book club having fortified their reading and thinking skills, prepared and excited to tackle new texts. From bookthemed activities to printable discussion questions to interviews with the. If you are starting a book club yourself, you may need some ideas for creating a fun group that people will come back to time after time. The questions presented here are applicable to any type of book or genre, including fiction, literature. Oct 14, 2015 nevertheless it can help to have some prepared questions or statements to kick start the discussion. New book club discussion ideas anchor charts 62 ideas reading strategies.
Browse this collection of printables to use with your literature circle activities. Jun 01, 2018 grab this printable book list of childrens books about honesty that also includes discussion starters about being honest for kids. To set the stage for that as the discussion leader, toss out those lengthy, oldschool lists of discussion questions. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. To retain interest in debating, you need to brainstorm some new and intense debate topics for elementary students, which can help them have an interesting and enriching debate. Theyll help you get more out of what your read and help you talk about books with greater ease. A few startup tips from vicki levy krupp, coauthor of the kids book club book. Just choose the participation level thats appropriate for the age level, says kris cannon, a former elementary school teacher and currently the librarian at mills high school in california, where she has started several lunchtime book clubs for high school.
Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. Fourstar reading responses use an anchor chart to show students the. For elementary students, repetition in debate topics can be rather irritating. Book clubs are a voluntary, studentcentered activity. And there are so many more ways to host a family book club. In particular, theyll get practice understanding and analyzing what they read, foster a sense of pleasure in reading and writing, learn to write better, expand their academic vocabularies, and gain confidence with public. Students can go into their book club groups with a toolbox paper, highlighter, pen, templates for discussion and you can help them add tools along the way. Ben and me is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to. Invite students through their classroom teachers, a connected, email blast, or newsletter. Whether it is a before school breakfast club, after school program, or summer program, elementary school book clubs are educational and fun. To set the stage for that as the discussion leader, toss out those lengthy, oldschool lists of discussion. Are you reading along with my kids and me for the love your neighbor book club. Before i dive into the discussion questions for that book, here are some tips for facilitating a middle school book club.
Instead of doing literature as a separate subject with the exception of studying shakespeare, our elementary kids have a twicemonthly book club that they love. The reading is not evaluated in the traditional way. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. They read the same book, then gather to talk about the characters and. Remind them of the question prompts and get them talking about the book to help them write questions e. All across the globe, the definition of elementary school varies significantly.
If your library doesnt offer a regular reading group at your library now is the time to start. Oct 16, 2014 the sentence starters help, she says, because students know the direction in which theyre supposed to go. Elementary school book clubs are a great way to engage children while developing their critical thinking skills and keeping them interested in reading. The responses can help me gauge each students understanding of a particular aspect of the story. I love making book clubs part of our routine and i know how important it is to hold our students accountable and make sure theyre getting the most out of their time in book cl. Whether your childs a bookworm or a struggling reader, sharing a book with others is way more fun than reading solo. Lunch bunch meetings should be voluntary, not required. Brightlys book club for kids is all about encouraging young readers to discover. Thoughtfully planned book clubs position learning in the hands of the students and provide discussion tools students can use as they work out their responses to the book. I decided to use a hot pink star as a visual cue for my students. Reading group choices is your resource for book recommendations, book club discussion topics, and reading group guides. Look for book club guides that you can tweak for your students. Books for an elementarylevel book club my good friend and neighbordownthestreet hosts a twicemonthly book club for her two elementary students and my two. Apr 19, 2017 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.
One family member can make up discussion questions and lead the discussion take turns. Jun 28, 2017 great book club conversations happen when readers take elements of a book to heart, and feel empowered to share and compare their reading experiences together. I have put together a list of 10 book club discussion questions that will work for any book, and still encourage lively and engaging conversation. Think aboutand bring up in your book club discussionthe reasons for marking those passages. However, when book clubs are not going well, teachers need to intervene with. Book club for kids discussion questions, reading guide, and. Are you hosting book clubs in your elementary classroom.
Discussion etiquette this is a focused form of brainstorming. Some generic question starters are given in my full guide how to set up a book club in your school. Even if you do have a reading guide, these questions will still help engage your book club members and provide great conversation starters. Choose your books wisely when school begins, and their message will. Book club activities reflections, discussion starters, and more. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe discussion guide. Guided reading prompts and questions to improve comprehension.
Are you getting ready to launch literature circles in your upper elementary classroom. We read save me a seat for september, and it was a fantastic choice for the start of a new school year. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. Free teacher rubric for book clubs made easy book club. Sep 05, 2016 even if you do have a reading guide, these questions will still help engage your book club members and provide great conversation starters. Take notes or mark passages that strike youpassages you find significant, funny, or insightful. Find ideas for discussions and activities your book club will enjoy. During book club meetings there is a fair amount of socializing and having a good time. I was looking for fresh book ideas when i found your site. Grab this printable book list of childrens books about honesty that also includes discussion starters about being honest for kids. I have loved how many students have been surprised by this book. Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community. During discussion, send students back to the text for more evidence by prompting them to expand on a classmates idea or deepen the discussion. I like to mix some of these generic questions in to our discussion along with more book specific ones, to create a nice balance in the conversation.
Whether they were through school, the local library, or a bookstore, it was great when someone organized a group of children together who all had the special. Questionsthatdriveateachingreadingstrategiesconference. A list of great random conversation starters as well as questions organized into topics. Great book club conversations happen when readers take elements of a book to heart, and feel empowered to share and compare their reading experiences together. 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. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center for. Or so piper thinks especially after transferring to a fancy private school. Some ideas for book club books upper elementary pernille ripp. Read on for how to create an activitybased book club or jump to five winning books for a kids book club.
In particular, theyll get practice understanding and analyzing what they read, foster a sense of pleasure in reading and writing, learn to write better, expand their academic vocabularies, and gain confidence with public speaking. Great list for a rookie book club membercofounder like me. Lewis include prompts for comprehension and recall, higher level thinking skills, literary elements, and personal response. Use these prompts and focused questions to help students gain the reading behaviors. Jun 25, 2014 read on for how to create an activitybased book club or jump to five winning books for a kids book club. Mar 19, 2020 partner with a language arts teacher at your school or start a book club talk of your own. Use these conversation starters for a fun way to get everyone talking. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center. This product will help you start a lunchtime book club that meets for minutes and just lets students enjoy reading without the pressures of assessment. What is your favorite subject at school conversation starters for kids good conversation questions to use when talking with children.
How to start a book club for elementary students wehavekids. As an elementary school media specialist, ive been running 4th and 5th grade afterschool book clubs for about ten years. A book club for kids is one of the best ways to combine learning and fun. Books for an elementary level book club my good friend and neighbordownthestreet hosts a twicemonthly book club for her two elementary students and my two. Interesting and creative debate topics for elementary students. Elementary school middle school high school kindergarten 1st grade 3rd grade 2nd grade 4th grade 5th grade prek 10th grade 12th grade 8th grade 9th grade 11th grade 6th grade 7th grade higher ed. Use the questions on this printable sheet to discuss any book your students might be studying. Kids book club book club books book clubs reading club teaching reading guided reading reading school reading lessons reading groups.
Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to your meeting. Any grade level work and you can start as early as first grade. How did i create this list of book club discussion. Book club reads, book club books, book lists, good books, books to read, book club names, book club parties, kids book club, book challenge 5 speaking activities for english language learners get to know you activities first day of school activities morning meeting activities morning meetings morning meeting greetings first day at school class. 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. If youre interested in learning about an easy method of implementing literature circles, head. Here are some general questions and conversation starters that can be catered to fit nonfiction titles. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. To set the stage for that as the discussion leader, toss out those lengthy, old school lists of discussion questions. They read the same book, then gather to talk about the.
Of course, you will also discuss the latest book you are reading, but if that is all you do your meetings will soon become boring. This picture book list is full of quality reads that will spur a conversation about this important character strength. Students can think about or even use them to complete a written response so they are ready for discussion. Over a third of the elementary school s students have been involved in the breakfast book club. A voluntary book club for students i love this idea. Offering lessons learned and tips from the innovators of existing teacherpowered schools, these starters are interactive resources featuring sets of discussion questions for teacher teams to take up as.
The lunch bunch book club is a program that can be held in a school library or in a classroom. When children are young, appropriate conversation starters might be questions about their world, such as. A good question to see what kind of books they are into. Book clubs can be formed based on interest, so each book club is its own community of interest,whether that interest is a particular genre, author or topic. Non fiction book club questions westfield memorial library. Find online books for your group to read, books approved for educators to read aloud, or have students take turns sharing a favorite book with the group. Aug 17, 2014 some ideas for book club books upper elementary august 17, 2014 july 31, 2015 pernille ripp i thought i had been doing book clubs well my first few years of teaching, but it wasnt until i went to teachers college and really learned how to do book clubs that i started loving them. Readers theater for grades 45 aops academy bellevue campus. Tell them that they will be reading their book and writing questions for the book club discussion. And if they really liked the book, well now youve got a good recommendation. By middle school, theyre moving on to other things, but until then. Explore options for setting up and running a book club. A typical meeting includes gathering in a multiuse room 45 minutes before the start of the school day to enjoy donuts, donut holes, fruit, hot chocolate, and juice provided by parent volunteers.
What was the purpose of this book eg, to teach, to entertain. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. 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. Liven up your book club meetings by playing a quick game or two when your members first arrive. After students had met in their groups for about ten minutes, lori gathered everyone in the. Make a new page in your family book club scrapbook. How to start a book club for elementary students kids.
Lots of kids wish that their school had a book club, but very few actually have the drive to make it happen. Find discussion books, contests, and reading lists. Particular topics should be chosen based on what students need in order to. Book clubs are a great way to engage students with reading and help build a reading culture at your school. Whats the best and worst thing that happened today. Literature circles are a fun and effective way to get kids excited about reading, and they are aligned with common core state standards for speaking and listening. Time to get nostalgic about how life was when you both were growing up.
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