Although there is value for many of us in reading a whole-class novel with our students, research also supports the inclusion of smaller groups reading and discussing different novels in the same classroom. It can positively affect reluctant readers' attitudes toward reading, allow students to feel ownership and choice in their reading materials, and help students practice conversation skills with peers, opening their minds to new perspectives. What's not to love?
If you've thought about facilitating book clubs in your classroom but haven't been sure how to begin, here's your guide:
The Choices
If you want to create a community of readers in your classroom, choice is key. Having multiple novel options (ideally of different genres and reading levels) will allow more students to find a book they will feel successful reading. I like to have a theme among my book club choices.
Some ideas:
Books about the future
Books about contemporary issues
Quest narratives
Memoirs
Graphic novels
Coming-of-age stories
Books that highlight a particular culture
... or pick a common literary theme (loss, transformation, love, resilience, etc.) and choose books that feature that theme
When there is a theme among your book clubs, you have the ability to hold whole-class discussions and teach mini-lessons lessons that ask students to draw upon that theme. It gives a sense of unity to all you do.
Where do you get your books? That depends a lot on what you are provided by your school. Our English department came up with a wish list of novels that we thought would be engaging, relevant, and appropriate for our students. We used a combination of instructional funds and grant money to purchase them. If you'd like to learn more about using grants to purchase books, check out this blog! Other resources we highly recommend are First Book Marketplace, Half Price Books, local library book sales, and other used book sellers. **It is not always necessary to have read every book you plan to offer; ask around for recommendations, check Goodreads, and you can usually tell if a book is a good match for your students. Every time I run book clubs, I set the goal of reading one of the books I haven't read yet!**
We recommend hosting a "book tasting," so that students can sample the options before choosing their favorites. Another way to introduce the novel choices is by giving (or playing a video of) a quick book talk for each book you plan to include. After introducing the books, ask your students to choose their top 3 choices. (I use a Google Form, because I love being able to organize their choices in a spreadsheet afterward.)
The Grouping
I've found that the ideal number of students for a group is 4. Too few, and absences can really mess with the mojo of the club. Too many, and sometimes quieter voices are lost in the group. However, you know your students best! I have had two-member-book clubs that knocked it out of the park! In these cases, I knew both students would have good attendance and would also *read.*
I try my best to make sure that each student gets one of their top 3 choices. It has pretty much always worked out, even if that means I have to shuffle things around a bit.
The Planning
One of my students' favorite parts about book clubs is that they have control over their reading goals and minor due dates. Although I set a final day by which the whole book must be read, students have ownership over decisions like how many pages or chapters to read per day or whether they will or won't read over the weekend. This creates a great deal of buy-in! I have a calendar I create in Google Docs where I add important dates and the final due date. Then, I make each student a copy so that they can type in the reading due dates they have chosen, and they continue to have access to the calendar throughout the unit. I also give them a blank bookmark where they write due dates in order to have them readily available.
The Setbacks
The single most frustrating issue we have during book clubs is the fact that at some point, a student will fall behind in their reading. This can impact their ability to participate in group discussion and contribute to group tasks, and it affects rapport within the group. As a teacher, you can't always prevent this issue, but there are some things you can do to help:
First, providing some time every day to read is key. Many students may have good intentions, but just do not have the time outside of school to read.
We have found that audiobooks can make all the difference for our reluctant or distracted readers. Many books are read out-loud on YouTube, providing easy access for students with headphones.
Graphic novel versions of traditional books can be SO helpful when you've got students of multiple reading levels in the same group. For instance, when I have a group reading The Handmaid's Tale, I always keep a copy of the graphic novel handy. It's not assigned to one reader in particular, but it's a resource they are allowed to use and share.
One-on-one conferences with readers who have fallen behind can hold them accountable and are a helpful way to come up with a catch-up plan. Sometimes a student and I will agree that they have to cut their losses and read a section of Sparknotes so that they will have the context to start reading back where the rest of the group is. I'd rather they read some of a book than feel overwhelmed and give up altogether.
Now that you know the basics for setting up for successful book clubs in your classroom, check out how we run book club meetings on our blog post Book Club Meetings Reinvented: Stellar Strategies that Work!
Let's keep clubbing together! ~Jamie
Comments