We run 3 rounds of book clubs for our students at 7 days each. Over 20 great activities from successful book club meetings built around the book s theme. What you should ask kids instead of did you like it. If you get to pick the book, here are some recommendations for engaging books that are likely to promote discussion.
To prepare for a book club discussion, introduce young. The westing game by ellen raskin, aminas voice by hena khan, esperanza rising by pam munoz ryan, the thing about j. Write ten chat roomstyle questions that could be used to start an online discussion about the book. In one of my past book clubs, we literally only read books that included discussion questions at the end of the book because we wanted to be certain wed have a meaningful discussion. They will practice critical thinking skills while considering the personal impact and perception of literature. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. Historical fiction book clubs are so easy with the complete guide to book clubs lesson plans and daily reading response journal prompts. 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.
Great books for middle school book clubs pernille ripp. Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club. Use this product to easily implement a unit that addresses social issues through student book clubs. If you are thinking of creating a book club for your child, some advice. Chandler has been a member of a bunch of them and has some tips for you and your book club. The responses can help me gauge each students understanding of a particular aspect of the story.
Book clubs in the middle school ela classroom i recently posted about book clubs in my classroom and i have gotten tons of questions about how i run them on both of my posts. Free printables for literature circles laura candler. Literature responses if you have the time, it would be very worthwhile for you to. If not, you can visit the publisher or authors website and find online reading guides. Nov 17, 2015 getting your kids to talk about what they read is a simple and effective way to help strengthen the comprehension and analysis skills they need to grow as a reader. Book club is an ela activity that combines reading and discussion of at level books in an organized manner. 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.
Classroom book clubs are an easy and fun way to implement literature circles. Book club questions that work for any book with free. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussion everything from book discussion questions, prompts, games, handouts. In mondays book club 101 post, we talked about how a fabulous book club discussion starts with the right book and it takes more than a great book to make a great book club novel.
From bookthemed activities to printable discussion questions to interviews with the authors, youll find plenty of inspiration for a great conversation. Write about the decisions you would make if you were the main character in the book. 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. Discussion questions for any book use the questions on this printable sheet to discuss any book your students might be studying. Book clubs for the upper elementary classroom the rigorous owl.
Were they brought to life in a cliche or in a unique manner. It wasnt that they didnt want to do book clubs, it was that they wanted to have meaningful conversations. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Below are the discussion questions prompts for the first chapter of the untold stories of broadway. Explore options for setting up and running a book club. Instructions are provided on introducing social is. Create a deadline and set a day for book clubs to take place. Aug 21, 2017 ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. 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. Students can think about or even use them to complete a written response so they are ready for discussion.
Broadwayworld book club week one discussion prompts. Guided reading prompts and questions to improve comprehension. 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. Includes book suggestions, discussion questions to keep the conversation going, printable management materials, parent communication, and more.
Book club activities reflections, discussion starters, and more. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. Book clubs book fairs scholastic education classroom magazines about us. Classroom book clubs is a part of the literature circles discussion bundle which also includes talking sticks discussions and discussion connections, two products to help foster more collaborative discussions. Very early on in our book club experiences, students had many ideas for how to make them better.
So heres a list of book club questions that will work for any book your book club chooses see the end of the article for a printable version. This resource consists of 5 short narrated videos that will teach you how to implement this method in a stepbystep way. I normally use prompts that promote and reinforce the comprehension strategies we teach and model in readers workshop minilessons. My good friend and neighbordownthestreet hosts a twicemonthly book club for her two elementary students and my two. Use this printable as part of a reading and literature class, either as an inclass activity, as a series of journal prompts, or as an easy assessment of a recentlyread book. Mar 10, 2015 remove the pressure by trying some of these discussion prompts. Consider adding a book themed craft, like making cool book covers for your books. Whether it is a beforeschool breakfast club, afterschool program, or summer program, elementary school book clubs are educational and fun.
As stated in previous sections of this series, mini lessons are not a necessary part of literacy circles book. If youve got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas youd like. 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. We also allow 30 min of reading time in class to ensure success for our book clubs. During book club discussions, students refer to their notes on these questions and their. Reading ideas, recipes, activities, and smart tips for organizing terrific kids book clubs. 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. How to plan a zoom book club from the comfort of your cozy. Just because adult book clubs tend to focus on a long discussion of the book doesnt mean you have to when creating a book club for kids. If your library doesnt offer a regular reading group at your library now is the time to start. Nov 05, 2014 of course, your first discussion should always be, did you like the book.
Mar 02, 2016 prompts are wonderful tools to have when you are helping individual students make their way through a text or to check on how well the members of your small group are understanding the text. Family book discussion prompts mayor of bookopolis. Book club for kids discussion questions, reading guide. In addition to getting the conversation started with the prompts. Storybird or figment, and perhaps set up a virtual classroom just for your book club kids. The big list of class discussion strategies cult of pedagogy. Book clubs are a great way to engage students with reading and help build a reading culture at your school. First line prompts read out some unknown first lines and challenge your students to keep telling the story.
Or, write ten questions that test other students understanding of the story. Our ideas can help you lead a discussion, find helpful resources, and be a smart participant. The literature circles discussion bundle includes 1 membership in facebook group. Are you hosting book clubs in your elementary classroom. You can also try to connect with authors on social media they may give you some great discussion ideas or even offer to skype with your book club. Non fiction book club questions westfield memorial library. Book discussion questions for any book courtesy of bookbundlz story.
Use these prompts and focused questions to help students gain the reading behaviors and comprehension strategies they need to become. Welcome to brightlys book club for kids, where we encourage young readers to discover great books, share new stories, explore important topics, and have some bookish fun. Using generic book club questions say you have picked a book that is a bit more obscure, or one that is brand new, and you cant find a discussion guide. Using generic book club questions say you have picked a book that is a bit more obscure, or one that is brand new, and you cant find a discussion. Reading groups are determined by the students current reading levels and no more than six students are placed in each reading group to allow full participation by each member of the group. Once a year we run our official book clubs here in 7th grade. Reading ideas, recipes, activities, and smart tips for organizing terrific kids book clubs gelman, judy, krupp, vicki levy on. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. A variety of talking points are the focus for book club meetings, and the talking points are printed on sticky notes for students to easily reference. Book club for kids discussion questions, reading guide, and.
Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. We give around 30 min for the book club discussion booklet activity. Use as a discussion guide at book club, with square sticky. Summarize the book into a comic or story aimed for younger students or your classmates. I think it would be valuable to have a set of rules for book clubs posted in the classroom, so that the expectations are clear. Using these 24 prompts will foster effective discussions and help you meet common core english language arts standards. 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. From book themed activities to printable discussion questions to interviews with the. I keep a laminated set with me and then students take it in turns to draw cards and answer the question.
Jan 12, 2012 over 20 great activities from successful book club meetings built around the books theme. Some ideas for book club books upper elementary pernille ripp. Tell them that they will be reading their book and writing questions for the book club discussion. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. Hopefully this section will take up the largest portion of your time. Then they have to give me their top 5 choices for book club books. Toward the end of class, students have time to reflect on the discussion, set future goals, and decide how many pages to read before their next discussion. General book club questions for study and discussion. Jul 2, 2014 want to give kids something to talk about. Book clubs in the middle school ela classroom the hungry. They arent helpful in moving discussions forward, and can make others feel defensive. This unit introduces book clubs literature circles to lower elementary classes, but could be adapted to higher grades. If youve got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas youd like to contribute, wed love to hear from you. After reading an informational book, make a scrapbook about the topics.
Book discussion questions for any book your book club. This approach is very flexible and does require students to take on roles when they meeting. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussioneverything from book discussion questions, prompts, games, handouts, even index cards. Brightlys book club for kids is all about encouraging young readers to discover great books, explore important topics, and have some bookish fun.
Best book club ideas for kids grades ideas 50 literature circle book discussion. So today we are going to explore 25 proven activities that can be applied to any book and at any age level. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to. Teach upper elementary students about character traits by having. This would make book club meetings run more smoothly because everyone would know what is expected of them. Have them write a question for the group about the book on their card and drop it in a bowl. They read the same book, then gather to talk about the characters and setting and what their. An awesome box put your book club students in charge.
Book clubs bring challenges in class management and assessment, but they can. Write a news article about an important event from the book. Find ideas for discussions and activities your book club will enjoy. Book clubs is a place to share a love for reading and to watch your students devour books and have rich discussions. Literature circles are a fun and effective way to get kids excited about reading, and they are aligned with common core. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to your meeting. Dec 14, 2017 are you always struggling to come up with book club questions to help guide your group discussion. Discussion questions you can use with any book morristown. Sep 05, 2016 when you choose a popular book club book, you can often find a wealth of book discussion questions already written for you. Elementary school book clubs are a great way to engage children while developing their critical thinking skills and keeping them interested in reading. Find book club lesson plans and teaching resources. These activities are easy to follow an suitable for most age groups within an elementary junior high school level.
The questions allow students to explore plot, character, structure, conflict and other important literary concepts. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center. We try to provide as many as we can an in a timely manner on our discussion questions page, but most of the time discussion questions arent even available for books until it comes out in paperback. Aug 07, 2018 during book club discussions, students refer to their notes on these questions and their prepared task, along with conversational moves ive provided to ensure a thoughtful, civil discussion. As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction. From chicklit to historical fiction to nonfiction that reads like a novel, theres a book here for every book club.
The circumstance that sets the book in motion is called the inciting moment. Literature circle openended discussion prompts vocabulary think about the interesting words and vocabulary words in your book. Keeping nonfiction book club questions simple, but open ended, will allow for plenty of opinions and encourage discussion among members. Depending on your students, you may want to allow for two or three days of reading, conferencing, and writing questions. Look for book club guides that you can tweak for your students. From book themed activities to printable discussion questions to interviews with the authors, youll find plenty of inspiration for a great conversation. Ask your group if they think people should judge the book by its cover. No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute.