Running a school book club

How to start a book club for elementary or grade school. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. Linda garner, a teacher librarian and a school library journal slj school librarian of the year finalist, shares some great tips on running a virtual book club for middle schoolers. There is never any one way to experience or interpret a book. Mention your club to your friends and people you think will be interested. Then, decide on a place for your book club to meet, like your house or a local library. These guidelines are based on the ten developmental principles that guide training and racing for young distance runners outlined in the book training for young distance runners written by larry greene, phd and russ pate, phd, published by human kinetics. Its a great way to promote reading in your school, while offering kids the opportunity to discuss and recommend their favourite. How to start a book club for middle school kids how to adult. Plus, you get to join in on the jogging and walking, so your fitness. Ive only had experience with mine, so ill share how ours is organized and why i believe weve had such endurance.

Ive been running a school book club for 3 years now. Chatterbooks clubs are run by library staff, teachers, teaching assistants and volunteers people who are passionate about reading. There are lots of book clubs out there now, and theres more than one way to run a successful one. 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. Whatever type of reader your child is, starting a parentchild book club can help foster a love of reading and provide a fun way to get families in your neighborhood together. Help schoolagers add more activity to their day with an afterschool kids running club. Ive also learned some important dos and donts for running a childrens book club, which id like to share with you. Plus, you get to join in on the jogging and walking, so your fitness levels get a boost too. Andersen 19 comments ive been asked on twitter by a few different people how i runfund my high school book club, so i decided i should write a post about it.

Whether youre a school librarian or a teacher, allowing time for students to chat about books and reading helps to engage. Read with an online group courtesy of you magazine. Explore options for setting up and running a book club. To help you make sure your book club is on point, here is a short guide about how to start a book club to help you make yours perfect. Gather everyone together to discuss the first book option, the permanent meeting location and time, how the book club will be run, and the goals for the book club. Even if your members are used to being part of group discussions and are good at listening to each other, it can still be a good idea to have somebody lead the meeting, in part to make sure that everyones voices get heard but also to come prepared with thoughts on what topics would be good to discuss, so if the conversation starts to run dry in one. But there is more to starting a book club than you might think. For instance, if you want to run a mother and daughter reading group, it may be likely that this happens. Find ideas for discussions and activities your book club will enjoy. All you need to set up and run a successful book club or reading group in your school. A closed book club is ideal if you want a small club, for example, for your class or for a particular group of students. In the students book club booklet, they each have a different job to do each day.

Book clubs are a great way to engage students with reading and help build a reading culture at your school. Many readers are adults here at book riot, but when we were kids, i bet we loved book clubs i know i did. A book club for kids is one of the best ways to combine learning and fun. But as a leader of your book club, you need to take things in stride. This is my first time running a club and having a teacher depend on me to create activities is both amazing and kind of stressful. Joining a book club can seem impossible, if you dont know where to look. Lots of kids wish that their school had a book club, but very few actually have the drive to make it happen. This year i facilitated an after school book club for 3rd5th graders at my kids elementary school. While we may not read as much as previous generations, reading is still very important, not to mention it comes with the benefits mentioned earlier.

A book club is a great activity any time of year, but it works particularly well. The common goal in our classrooms is for students to complete their book club booklet and to follow the schedule of tasks in a given amount of time. The road runners club of america promotes the following guidelines for youth running. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center. Tips for running a successful, sustainable book club. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center for. Make a concrete plan for the first day and subsequent sessions, as possible. Nycs district 75 published their middle school units of study, developing autonomy when engaging with literature, online. If you cant see what you are looking for our other categories are displayed on the left under our quick links. 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. Managing the challenges of yearbook club walsworth yearbooks. Four lifelong friends have their lives forever changed after reading 50 shades of grey in their monthly book club. A book club sometimes called a reading group or book group is a group of people who get together on a regular basis to discuss books. Meet with the parents of your middle school childs friends to get some help running the book club.

Take notes or mark passages that strike youpassages you find significant, funny, or insightful. Sometimes a casual chitchat can turn into a heated debate, so stay on your toes and arbitrate when needed. Ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school. Children can enjoy the same kind of communitybuilding experience by meeting with friends to choose, read, and discuss books together. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. Chatterbooks is our network of childrens reading clubs run in libraries and schools. Whether youre a school librarian or a teacher, allowing time for. 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. We run lunchtime and after school book clubs, we have reading buddies so that children can discuss the books they are reading with their friends. Its also your job to prevent people from talking over each other.

How to run a teen book club teen services underground. Aug 09, 2011 whatever type of reader your child is, starting a parentchild book club can help foster a love of reading and provide a fun way to get families in your neighborhood together. As stated in previous sections of this series, mini lessons are not a necessary part of literacy circlesbook. Below are our articles on the subject of running a book club. If you are in a book club and have some ideas to share, id love to hear from.

Use our ideas to help you organize your book club activities, hold good discussions, and settle tough issues. Ask if the other parents would host some of the meetings or help in other ways, such as bringing snacks. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford. If the school is willing to lend an empty classroom for afterschool use as a reading club meeting place or perhaps allow use of the school library, this will take care of the first issue. Tips and tricks matthew noe lamar soutter library, fellow nnlm ner, graphic medicine specialist acknowledgements this project is funded in part by a mapping the landscape, journeying together grant from the arnold p.

Even better, imagine your student readers encouraging other student readers from home. If you are running the book club, you can volunteer to be the moderator, or have other members of the club take turns at the helm. If they didnt like the book, then i definitely want them to come and tell us what they didnt like. The yearbook club competes with other clubs, sports and a great many events and activities that appeal to students when the final bell rings, in addition to jobs outside of school. In the next post, read about how to establish expectations and create a schedule. When youre learning how to start a book club, youll find out fast that disagreements about books can get heated. With diane keaton, jane fonda, candice bergen, mary steenburgen. If your school allows it, create and post flyers a week or two before the first meeting that briefly state the clubs name, purpose, and time and date of the first meeting.

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. Dec 14, 2017 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. Your nonclub colleagues will definitely appreciate it. May 05, 2015 this year i facilitated an after school book club for 3rd5th graders at my kids elementary school. Not everyone can finish every book, but nonreaders may still have valuable insights. There are so many reasons to be part of a book club. And, i have no formal training as a teacher, unless you count the 7 summers. Some clubs meet online, many meet inperson either in homes or public places such as a library, bookstore or cafe. Book clubs services to schools national library of new zealand. To start a book club, start by finding a small group of people who all love to read, like friends, family members, or coworkers. Some students do use books off of my shelves, but the vast majority find texts from the library. This product will help you start a lunchtime book club that meets for 3040 minutes and just lets students enjoy reading. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford education.

Mar 01, 2012 the yearbook club competes with other clubs, sports and a great many events and activities that appeal to students when the final bell rings, in addition to jobs outside of school. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. 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. Suitable for pupils of all ages and all stages of reading. Apr 19, 2017 my high school has a student lead book club and i was elected our president. Elementary school book clubs are a great way to engage children while developing their critical thinking skills and keeping them interested in reading. An after school activity requires parent permission, so follow your school s rules to the letter on this topic. The main need for funding when starting a reading club is the use of a venue for meetings and the cost of books for members. Sep 24, 2015 all you need to set up and run a successful book club or reading group in your school. Imagine being able to encourage your student readers from home.

Fundamentals of youth running road runners club of america. Running childrens reading clubs chatterbooks is our network of childrens reading clubs run in libraries and schools to encourage reading for pleasure. This guide shares the experiences of the schools, book group leaders, children. Likewise, i recognize that book club is not school and i am not grading them, so if they didnt finish the book, i still welcome them to join book club. To combat this, consider taking the following steps for next year. Starting one yourself is easy to do and simple to maintain. A book discussion group is a forum where readers can come together and talk about books and the reading experience there are adult groups, studentled groups, motherdaughter groups, fatherson groups, and parentchild groups, to name just a few. In case, you missed the announcement, i am running a book study of my first book passionate learners this summer in the passionate readers facebook group. Brainstorm ideas for the group, such as activities to do, where to meet and how often to meet. Im a teacher at the school and also the literacy coordinator and i also have responsibility for provision for. Having established rules can be especially important if you are starting a book club thats open to the general public. Opening the book is a site designed for book professionals and supplies tool packs for book clubs and courses in running groups. Book club isnt a school lesson, the children are there in their own free time and i think its important that its run in a way that means they want to attend. Chatterbooks book clubs can be run by teachers, teaching assistants, student teachers, parents or volunteers.

When running a book club, using shorter books help. Andersen 19 comments ive been asked on twitter by a few different people how i runfund my high school book club, so i. 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. Determining the purpose for running a book club, stressing the importance to students, accessing the books, and making time in the curriculum are just the first steps to getting a successful independent reading program off the ground. Sep 08, 2019 to start a book club, start by finding a small group of people who all love to read, like friends, family members, or coworkers. The trained adults then selected appropriate times and places for their book clubs to run.

Aug 05, 2017 determining the purpose for running a book club, stressing the importance to students, accessing the books, and making time in the curriculum are just the first steps to getting a successful independent reading program off the ground. As stated in previous sections of this series, mini lessons are not a necessary part of literacy circlesbook clubs. Running a book club at your workplace can be an incredibly fulfilling and refreshing experience. How to run a fullchoice book club in your classroom. In fact, differing opinions make the best discussions. This post is the first in a threepart series about how to run a book club in your classroom. Book clubs have come back as a popular way to allow readers to discuss books in an informal setting. Its not worth holding a club meeting if it is disorganized and, as the adult supervisor, its your job to provide structure and direction. 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. 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. 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. How we set up book clubs in middle school pernille ripp. After 18 months of fabulous meetings, i can in all confidence declare the book club a resounding success, and im having even more fun than i anticipated. If you dont have anywhere to meet in person, you can start a virtual book club using social media or video chatting.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, passionate readers the art of reaching and engaging every child. Looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. I was a little apprehensive since my patience can run thin with my own two kids. Some of the rules may seem like common sense but making sure everyone is on the same page helps avoid unnecessary conflict. Help school agers add more activity to their day with an after school kids running club. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. Bring one or two options for meeting times and the first book. Take a vote if you would like to have everyone involved in the decision. 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. 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. We always start out by discussing the reading from the previous day. Try to make these flyers eyecatching and interesting to look at. Catherine holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor, who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness.