Student Self-Selected Book Clubs

When it comes to reading, what's better than sinking your teeth into a good book?  For me, and for many others, it would be sharing our thoughts and ideas about that good book. Well, it's no different for 10 year olds!



This year I have seen the empowerment of  "shared" reading with my students via a "book club."  Over the years students in my class have participated in "Literature Circles" mostly with success.  Somehow though, the groups seem to be driven by me (with specific roles for each participant) or by the choices of books that are available in bulk.
 
A few weeks back a student approached me for a book recommendation during our Media time.  I led her to a personal favorite, "Stone Fox"  by John Reynolds Gardiner.  When another student overheard, I suggested they read together.  A third student overheard the conversation and wanted to join in. Fortunately, I have several copies of that wonderful book. 

This idea of reading together sparked the interest of another group of three students.  Quickly, scanning my classroom library I tried to find some books that might appeal to them.  I came  up with several I thought might interest them (of course these books were partly chosen because I had more than one copy.) As we were pouring over the library we came to the book, "Chasing Lincoln's Killers" by James Swanson. That was it! The boys were beside themselves as they anticipated reading this book together.  The problem - I only had one copy.  Not to worry, we scoured all the classes in the school.  Unfortunately, we came up with only one other. But we couldn't find a third book.

However, the next day the boys came up to me bristling with excitement.  One of the boys had gone to the local book store and purchased his OWN copy of the book (with his own money!) so they could read it all together!   Amazing!

But here's the really amazing part!  The boys collaborated with each other (without my intervention) deciding which how many pages they would read or when they would complete each chapter.  They used any free time in class to (voluntarily) read together and discuss what was happening.

And the discussions...just priceless!  Each student taking turns, sharing their predictions, their understandings, their questions with one another.  They were looking at maps and doing extra research.  They were learning new vocabulary and helping each other with unfamiliar words. They were recording important information in a Google Doc.

However, the best part was when they invited me to read along with them! They wanted me to learn about what they were reading.  Each time we sat down together, they would catch me up on what they had learned - showing true understanding.  All of this because they shared an interest in the story!  

Hoping this wonderful love of 'group reading' will continue.  It has inspired other students in the classroom to read together.  It's great to see the collaboration and shared interests.

Literature Circle Resources:

Read Write Think:  Lesson Plan: Literature Circles w/ Primary Students Using Self Selected Reading
Education World:  Literature Circles Build Excitement for Books
PBS: Book Clubs for Kids
Great Kids: It's not just for Oprah: Book Clubs for Kids

Teachable Moment - Ashrita Furman, Record Breaker

Grab your pogo stick and hop your way right into the Guinness Book of Records! That's what I think my students will be doing after our lesson on MAIN IDEA and supporting details. 

The worksheet being used to review the skill had information about a gentleman who climbed up and down Mt. Fuji on his pogo stick.  Imagine the stamina and strength it would take to accomplish this feat! As the students continued reading they became fascinated by Ashrita Furman, the man who holds over a hundred other records in the Guinness Book of Records.

The students started asking lots of great questions.  Why did he decide to break the records?  How many records did he break? Where is he from?  Why did climbing Mt. Fuji on a pogo stick bring inner peace? (the paragraph mentioned it brought Ashrita inner peace)  What is inner peace?  Is he still alive?

Not realizing the interest this would spark, we decided to take a few moments to research this unusual record-breaker.  His website, which you can reach it by clicking HERE, has all kind of fun and amazing information.  It also includes the video below:



Students each wrote a letter to Ashrita in their writing journal.  They asked their questions about his records while also telling him about the records they would like break.  One student wants to be the first to eat the most gummy bears in 5 minutes while another wants to pass a football non-stop and still another wants to write continuously in cursive. We have contacted Ashrita through his website and hope to hear back from him!

One never knows where the learning will take us.  The key is to take those teachable moments and follow where it leads!

Advice on "How to get started" by Ashrita Furman himself can be found on this page of his website: How to Get in the Guinness Book.

Please share in the comment section the record you would like to break!  

top photo credit: Scott Beale via photopin cc

Book Bins and New Beginnings

Book bins with each child's name and books to start the year.

Who knew some plastic bins from the Dollar Store could bring such joy? Okay, they are colorful plastic bins.  But that's not why they brought such joy. 

During the summer I read The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller and The Daily5 and the Cafe Book by sisters, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser.  These books became my inspiration and guides to how I will approach reading with my students this year.

Following the authors' suggestions students will select their own reading books which will then be used to practice the skills and strategies being taught - true differentiation! 

The Two Sisters suggested using Book bins for each student.  I hemmed and hawed about what to use and in the end (due to financial constraints) I chose some colorful, plastic bins from the Dollar Store. (I'm hoping they will hold up!)

Since Tropical Storm Irene blew into town and gave the students in my district a delayed school opening, I thought I would capitalize on the moment to fill each book bin with several books. 

Using my class list I selected books from my library that I thought might appeal to my new students.  Each box was then filled with books of different genres with the hope of tapping into some of their interests.  A bookmark was also added for extra measure!

What happened next was something unexpected.  I started humming. (Okay, not that unexpected if you know me.)  With a spring in my step I started bounding from the bookshelf to the book bin.   My pulse quickened and my heart twittered. I felt light and hopeful.  I realized it was the feeling of pure JOY!

When I had filled all 27 bins I stood back and admired my handiwork.  I began to wonder.  Would my students like the books? The bins?  Would they experience the joy in a similar way? Would they be excited when they could add books for themselves?  Would they enjoy reading this year?

I think I will always remember the excitement and joy I felt at the thought of this new school year.  Not just a new year, with new students, but a new beginning with renewed commitment to helping students find the JOY in reading!

Slide into Summer Fun & Learning (Part 1)

Summer vacation is here and already I'm hearing, "Mom, I'm bored, what can I do?"  In my daughter's defense it has been raining since school let out a few days ago.  Of course I suggested she start her summer reading project but was met with a huge "UGG!!"

As a teacher (and mom) I know it is important to keep those skills current and avoid the 'summer slide'. 


Many school systems have required reading and even math packets for students to complete during the summer break.  I'm going out on a limb by saying that although we want to keep our students' skills honed I'm not sure REQUIRED reading and math packets will do the trick.  It has always been a struggle to get my own kids to complete their summer reading.  We would be vacationing on Cape Cod that last week in August and I'd be hounding them to read their book.  Now, tell me how that instills the love of reading or promotes the retention of skills?

So what is the answer?  How can we get our children (or students) to keep learning during the summer?

There are no sure-fire fixes. However, a few suggestions to help keep the kids engaged in summer reading include: finding audio books, participate in summer reading challenges or read with family members.

Audio Books:  Find stories that can be plopped onto their iPods or MP3 players.  They can listen to a book while riding in the car or while falling asleep.  Pair the audio with the book and it's even better.  Some places offer the books for free! See a sampling below:


87 Places for Free Audio Books OnLine - offers links to sites that legally offer free audio books.

LibriVox - provides free books in the public domain   


Learn Out Loud - highlights 50 of the top free audio books

Summer Reading Challenges:  Many local libraries promote summer reading challenges.  While this is not effective for all children, some really enjoy a challenge.  Check out these two challenges:


SCHOLASTIC SUMMER CHALLENGE - students log their summer reading minutes and enter a sweepstakes (free and no email is necessary).


BARNES & NOBLE:  Kids read 8 books, record them in a downloadable journal and receive a free book off a list from Barnes & Noble.


PBS KIDS Summer Reading Community Challenge: A six week program to help kids discover the joys of reading.  Sign up for receive Emails with tips provided to guide you and your child.

Read Along with your child:  It might be helpful if you read the same book as your child.  Take turns reading it aloud together.  Make it a family event!  You will model reading and most likely have conversations around the same book. You can even try some of these Pre-Reading Strategies with your child!

I wish there were some "magic" that would help get children to LOVE to read!  Since there isn't, we sometimes have to find creative ways in which to share the joy of reading with our children.  Whether it is through a magazine, blog, graphic novel,  poetry or museum plaque, we need to engage our children and help motivate them to read!

Please share your ideas on how to promote reading in the comment section!

For the Love of Reading!

It’s a question I hear at ALL parent teacher conferences: What can I do to get my child to love to read?   Or What can I do to get my child to read?  These are also questions that educators wrestle with as well.

As a teacher and parent I am still plagued by these questions as there are no definitive answers.  However, there are some steps that we as educators and parents can take to aid in the love of reading. 

Be a Role Model: This is a tip from an article, How to Get Your Child to Love Reading.  Children follow their parents’ lead.  If they see their parents reading they in turn, are likely to read.  If watching TV is the preferred activity of parents, then children are likely to fall into that habit.  

Likewise, children follow their teacher’s lead.  When the students are reading during DEAR time, why not read a book along with them.  Share something funny or unusual from a story you are reading.  Kids will want to share with you once you have shared! 

Make Reading Interactive: From when a child is very young to even young teens, your child or student can participate in activities that are related to the book...from dressing up like a character or creating a craft such as a time capsule.  Reading books online at sites like Story Time for Me (for ages 1-8) or Story Line Online (for ages 5- 12) are bound to grab their attention.  (Story Time Online pairs great literature read by actors and actresses!). 

Use a RockStar: My students at school and my own children love to listen to stories that have been dowloaded to their iPods.  Using a Belkin RockStar allows up to 5 headphones to be plugged into the same iPod or mp3 player.  Now five friends can listen to the same story - makes discussing a book way more fun (and they can say they are actually with a Rockstar!) 

Take a Trip: Go on a Google Lit Trip or create your own!  Using Google Earth you can locate and visit places mentioned in your reading!  Children love to connect what they are reading to real life! There are also many Virtual Field Trip sites that offer experiences via the web that engage students in their learning!  Visit SimpleK12 to check out a few ideas.

As teachers perhaps it's time to throw out the reading logs and try something new! (Read this post by Nancy Hniedziejko: Want Children to love to Read? The comments are insightful too!)

It's devastating to think your child (or student) DOESN'T love to read (much less like it). But, engaging them in conversations about what they're reading and sharing related information may pique their interest enough that one day they'll find the one book that will hook them forever!!!

   

What was the ONE book that hooked you as a reader?... at AnswerGarden.ch.

Please share ideas that you have found successful! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It ain't over til It's over - Activating Prior Knowledge - Part 3 After Reading

photo © 2008 Chris connelly | more info (via: Wylio) 


“It ain’t over til it’s over” was the phrase coined by Yogi Berra.  Spoken like a true sportsman or classroom teacher!  

We all know that even when the kids have finished reading a story they’re “not really done”.  We read. We discuss. We assess.  There are all kinds of other activities that we can initiate to make sure the students have made connections to their reading.  This is Part 3 in the "Activating Prior Knowledge" series. 

In the Before reading post, it was suggested to use an Anticipation Guide.  If used, it would be a great (quick) assessment to see if the kids can answer those questions correctly now.  (They love getting them all right too!!).  Also, in the Before post as an alternative to the KWL chart - a Word Cloud was suggested.  How about make a new word cloud to share what was learned.  (The kids love comparing them!) 

The During reading post suggested to use a Wallwisher.  Students could add new thoughts to the Wallwisher.  (The kids will have fun revisiting the Wall!).


Other activities  to institute when the students have finished reading could include creating a retelling of the story.  Why not try have the students create a comic at ToonDoo.  It is free, fun and quite simple to use.  See my sample below.

By Ncarroll | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Another activity along the lines of a summary, is to create a talking picture at Blabberize.  Blabberize is a free site where you can upload a picture and record a narration.  In the sample below, a picture was created at Sketchfu then uploaded to make a Blabber. 






For something a little more open-ended, have students create a poem.  With the help of ReadWriteThink students are guided through the writing process.  See the sample below of an Acrostic poem. 

Guiding our students and having them complete activities AFTER reading will help them make connections and therefore, have a deeper understanding of the concepts.  

Hopefully, students will come to the realization themselves that "It ain't over till it's over!"

They're Reading-Now What? Activating Prior Knowledge-Part 2

They're Reading - Now What? What are the strategies that you employ while your students are reading? Is there a way to incorporate technology as a way to help students with their comprehension?

Focusing on making connections and activating prior knowledge DURING reading is just as important as tapping into the prior knowledge BEFORE reading. Check out these 'during reading' ideas at All America Reads. You probably already utilize many of these tactics.

Using graphic organizers helps our students solidify their understanding through pictorial or structural designs. They aid our student's comprehension. One way to add a new twist to graphic organizers is to pair these time-tested tools with technology.

Excel Spreadsheet: An Excel spreadsheet, for example could be created and filled in while reading. The example I have created below is about the characters in our reading story. Students can complete the charts individually, with a partner or whole group. (Brush up on your Excel basics at Internet4Classrooms).


Digital Post it Notes: I LOVE sticky notes....I have my students use Sticky notes while they are reading to record any thoughts or questions relating to the story. Why not have the students post their sticky notes on a free site like Wallwisher. Students will enjoy reading each other's stickies . Check out our Marven Wallwisher. (The picture at the top of this post was created in Wallwisher).

Another site where you can create and post stickies (and then embed them into your website) is Classtools.net. Students can create a word splash that show an understanding of the story or as a class create a Post-it.

TIMELINES: Sequencing activities also strengthen comprehension while students are reading. Using a timeline will help children make connections and put them in a logical, sequential order.

There are many sites that offer free timelines. Some are more involved than others. For elementary students I suggest using the ReadWriteThink timeline. These timelines can be organized by date, time, event, or other and can be printed vertically or horizontally. Another timeline suitable for elementary students is from TeAch-nology. It's simple and easy to use (although you are limited in your description of events.)

These activities during reading can be paper and pencil tasks, but what if we were able to create these organizers digitally? Would our students be more engaged and therefore more motivated? Would it effect their comprehension in a positive way? I think the answer is yes. Why not find out for yourself!

(Part 3 of the series will deal with Activating Prior Knowledge AFTER reading).

Activating Prior Knowledge Part 1

Do you remember “Back to the Future?” with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd? The unusual time machine Doc Brown rigged up was a Delorean car! It was just on T.V. last week.

Why didn’t I think to use a clip from that movie as a way to activate my students' prior knowledge about time traveling? Or use a clip with Phineas and Ferb? Or share a clip from the Magic School Bus Goes Back in Time? These clips would have certainly engaged my students and had them really thinking about our next reading story instead of me asking them: “Do you know anything about time machines?”

Activating Prior-Knowledge or Building Background Knowledge is a ‘must’ and just good teaching practice for building comprehension. It can be done before, during and after reading in any content area. According to Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmermann “It has been known for some time that one of the most effective ways to improve comprehension is to "activate mental files" before reading. (from Mosaic of Thought, 1997, p.51)

Using Digital Media and online resources allows more students access while actively engaging them in these activities. Try the following strategies as BEFORE reading activators.

ANTICIPATION GUIDES: Use an Anticipation Guide to peak students’ curiosity about a topic. Visit this site for more information and templates: Reading Rockets. A technology twist on this technique could be to create your Anticipation guide using a free online survey tool such as Survey Monkey or Polldaddy. Students love ‘guessing’ before reading and using technology will totally grab their attention. Once the survey is complete you can share the results with the students. Take the survey again AFTER reading and compare the results as a quick assessment.

KWL CHARTS: The KWL chart has long been used as an effective strategy to find out what students KNOW about a topic, WANT to know or what they have LEARNED. Typically, we use 3 columns and write down the information. Why not have students create (either individually, with a partner or even as a whole class) a Word Cloud, which is a fun way to show words that go beyond listing, as a way to generate their K-W-L. Free online sites like ABCya and Wordle provide kids with a way to visually represent their ideas in an attractive and unique way.

VIDEOS & IMAGES: Using videos and other images can really help students relate to topics and ideas. Often they help activate knowledge to those students who do not have first-hand experience with a subject. Many schools subscribe to Discovery Education, which has videos and stills for every area of the curriculum. One free online video resource can be found at: Teachers’Domain, which has libraries featuring media from NOVA, Frontline, American Experience and other PBS sources. There are many sites that allow teachers and others to use photos without worry of violating copyright. Public domain photos can be found at PD Photo and Public Domain Pictures.

Good teachers are constantly activating prior knowledge to help their students learn. Modeling the above strategies and accessing the knowledge before students begin their reading will build their comprehension.

(Part 2 of this series will deal with the strategies to use During Reading!)

Top Photo:
photo credit: JD Hancock via photo pin cc