Starting an elementary book club

Your child doesnt have to wait until adulthood to participate in a book club. Book club invitation letter with samples sample invitation. Your first step is deciding what you want your club to focus on. Its a great way to connect with others in a group setting, over the content you read individually. Looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. How to run a fullchoice book club in your classroom. I may be biased, but moms book nook is the best online moms book club youll find. Keep reading to find out how to create your own classroom book club, which questions to. You can customize it by addressing it directly to the recipient. A book club is a great activity any time of year, but it works particularly well in the summer when schedules are more relaxed. Joining or starting book clubs is one of the best ideas to get your kids reading. As a 1st grade teacher, i wondered how to create a book club experience that would be fun and challenging for all my students, addressing the capabilities of my belowgradelevel, onlevel, and abovegradelevel readers alike. Whether youre a facebook addict, an avid tweeter, or are willing to be part of any group that will read books with you, creating an online book club has never been easier. How to start a book club for elementary students kids book.

So, here are a few helpful tips, decide what kind of book club. Chandler has been a member of a bunch of them and has some tips for you and your book club. Their meetings can come to life with discussions, arts and crafts, and activities. You can also check out our editors picks for book club books, or turn to oprahs book club for ideas. We announce the book selection on the first monday of the month and discuss on the last monday of the month at. If you want your kids to feel an attachment to their book club, consider building it around a theme that resonates. But there is more to starting a book club than you might think. Great list for a rookie book club membercofounder like me. The classroom book clubs program is a variation of traditional literature circles in which groups of students read the same book and have weekly meetings to discuss their thoughts and feelings about the book.

Whether you start with a fishbowl of a book club group or you sit in on each group as they begin, follow through on ground rules to help students feel secure that their agreement will be supported. As you read each novel, jot down page numbers and passages that moved you and where you found answers to the discussion questions. Even though there are many online book clubs on the internet, you can start your own online book club. Here are some details to consider while building a community of readers. Unless you are a strong reader, school gets harder and harder every year. The role of club coordinator in a book club as the book club evolves, the role of the group coordinator will change. Websites like are free to join, easy to use, and allow all the members of your club to post on a communal site. 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. How to set up a book club in your school, including ideas for key questions for your discussion. These tasks may be delegated to other club members. When kids participate in a book club, they can have a blast, while they reap the incredible benefits of reading. Many readers are adults here at book riot, but when we were kids, i bet we loved book clubs i know i did.

Whether youre a school librarian or a teacher, allowing time for students to chat about books and reading helps to engage readers and create a strong reading culture at your school. Decide what will be best for your group and try it for 34 months, and if it doesnt work try something different. Starting a book club can be a breeze, but only if you take the right approach from the beginning. This post is the first in a threepart series about how to run a book club in your classroom. Starting a book club can be an intimidating endeavor. Setting up a book club encourages students to read more and explore a variety of genres and titles. Just before the book club invitation letters id like to mention a few tips for the benefit of any of my readers who dont know how to start a book club. Follow the protocols you and the students set in place.

Book clubs have come back as a popular way to allow readers to discuss books in an informal setting. Now that you know all about high school clubs and why youd want to start your own, lets get started. Practice crafting questions for a text the class has. We meet in a private facebook group and chat about a new book every month. Starting your own book club is an endeavor that we applaud. Jul 11, 2017 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. They read the same book, then gather to talk about the characters and. 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.

This got me thinking about starting a book club for the upper elementary kids 35 potentially to meet during lunch. Find more advice on starting your book club in nikkis guide. The number one principle in starting and coordinating a club at the elementary school level is to have fun. Books clubs are a fun way for kids to get a deeper understanding of a book and learn to have a discussion with other readers. This list of book club books has nonfiction, chicklit, young adult and middle grade titles, history books and parenting books. 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. Children can enjoy the same kind of communitybuilding experience by meeting with friends to choose, read, and discuss books together. You can also try joining real simples noobligation book club. A couple of years ago, i was disappointed by the selections in the book fair fliers my daughter was bringing home from school, and i wanted to feed her nascent love of reading with highquality, memorable writing. In a book club, everyone reads the same book and then discusses it with the other members. Often, this leads to students slipping behind, becoming frustrated and disillusioned before they even hit puberty.

In the next post, read about how to establish expectations and create a schedule. So i suggested starting a book club for her and some of her friends. A book club is a great activity any time of year, but it works particularly well. The key to running a successful book club is organization.

This book club name wins bonus points for alliteration. Its a very satisfying experience, but you have to be prepared to dedicate a lot of time to your pursuit. Whether your childs a bookworm or a struggling reader, sharing a book with others is way more fun than reading solo. 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 overall goal, of course, is to encourage the kids to discuss and enjoy different kinds of literature. 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. Mar 18, 2018 here are some tips and ideas for starting a book or other club, and having it run without you having to do all of the work. Tips for starting a book club in your school plus resources that describe the benefits of reading.

The classroom book clubs method is more relaxed and less structured than many forms of literature circles, and its flexibility makes it. 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. 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. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. How to start a book club for kids pbs kids for parents. Perhaps your kids have joined a book club at school or at the library. Meet at one anothers homes, book a free room at your local library, or gather outside at a park for a bookthemed picnic. Some ideas for book club books upper elementary pernille ripp. Consider starting a blog or an online forum to keep track of the club. Give your students a positive and worthwhile first experience with extracurricular involvement. The key is to make it fun and rewarding and chose books that. Its more fun to read the same book with your buddies, which is why book clubs are especially great for reluctant readers. 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. The first step in starting a book club at school is talking to a teacher, principal or administrator.

The best thing about starting your own is that you can design it to reflect your particular reading interests and your own style. See more ideas about book club books, library lessons and library programs. Lots of kids wish that their school had a book club, but very few actually have the drive to make it happen. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford education.

How to start a book club for elementary students wehavekids. Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community. Since you chose the first book, you will be in charge of leading the book club and developing activities for the kids. You cant be sending out those book club invitation letters without having a strategy first. Most book clubs socialize first and then get down to book club discussion.

Jot down questions as you read the book, or do an online search for guided questions. This season, you can try making a special book club for your kids by creating this. Some of these are the best book club books from my own book clubs over the years and others are ones i wish my book club had read. Lucky for you, early bird books offers free ebooks each month, plus great deals on ebooks every day. Book clubs for kids basically, the purpose of a book club for kids is twofold. Want to see these questions in action, and join a fun monthly online book club no awkward silences, promise. Search search educational resources search menu sign. To prepare for a book club discussion, introduce young readers to the characteristics of good conversation starting questions. Jodie rodriguez, of growing book by book, organizes a monthly family dinner book club for her preschoolaged children with a themed menu, table decorations, and conversation starters.

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. Think about what your intentions are for your book club. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. And weve made it easy to do with these tips and resources. This is why its critical to create an accepting reading community in your classroom from day 1, but its never too late to start back to. 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. Use this if your book club has a tendency to alternate between different types or genres of books. Elementary school book clubs are a great way to engage children while developing their critical thinking skills and keeping them interested in reading. Book clubs are generally a more social, less academic way to explore comprehension and meaning while learning from the insights of others. A poster containing 5 guidelines for students to refer to, when working in their book club groups. Dont try to make the book club something its not, advise judy gelman and vicki levy krupp, coauthors of the comprehensive the kids book club book tarcher, 2007. We have started book clubs for our daughters, and they have continued for years. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. This idea had the added benefit of giving my very shy daughter a chance to make some connections with other kids who like books as much as she does.

The book club will meet once a month hopefully at our school library to discuss a book and engage in different book related activities. Starting an elementary book club discover the benefits of starting a book club in this twopart article. I should mention that there is an option of sending out handwritten book club invitation letters. 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. How to start a book club for elementary students kids.

Below are some tasks that should be addressed by the club coordinator. 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. A book club for kids is one of the best ways to combine learning and fun. School book club gets kids and adults involved beyond social activities and fundraising.

Aug 15, 2014 how can you keep your book club from fizzling out. Joining a book club can seem impossible, if you dont know where to look. Kids book club book club books book clubs club poster reading anchor charts reading club literature circles 3rd grade reading reading rainbow this is a one pager. Book clubs can be a great tool to target different groups of kids, from the abovegradelevel reader who needs some enrichment to stay engaged, to the struggling reader who needs a chance to see that reading books can be fun.

Parents at northwood elementary get involved in school academics by participating in a school book club that promotes fun and a love of reading. How to start a book club for elementary students kids book club. This would work for someone you know but its timeconsuming. Jan 25, 2017 once youve settled on a platform for your online book club, you just need to figure out what youre reading. Now, once youve decided on the topic, consider the technicalities of starting a new club on campus.

We always start out by discussing the reading from the previous day. In the students book club booklet, they each have a different job to do each day. Reading groups and book clubs are a hugely popular way of engaging readers and are a way into opening the box of reading delights. How to create your classroom book club everyday esl. Weve put together a comprehensive howto guide so you can start reading and discussing new books. Jun 05, 2018 a book club can work well in a variety of settings. Putting 100 plus students together in an online community to have conversations can be scary.

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 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. 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. Follow the steps below to start a club that is interesting, wellrun, and will last a long time. Before you start looking for prospective members, sit down for a few minutes and ask yourself the following questions. Aim to discuss the book for about half an hour to start with and see how it goes. You can start the book club with 1015 minutes of discussion prompted by some predetermined questions about the book more on discussion questions below. In this post, well share 12 helpful tips for starting a book club for kids. 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. Having discussion questions before your book club meets will help facilitate a good discussion of your book. Oct 14, 2015 find more advice on starting your book club in nikkis guide.

Book clubs for the upper elementary classroom the rigorous owl. Perhaps, a pokemon club could involve creative writing, original games, books, and songs about those colorful little creatures. How to start a family book club scholastic parents. How to start and run a book club a thousand words youtube.

You can get monthly book recommendations and free teaching notes as part of our oxford education book club. Lots of kids wish that their school had a book club, but very few actually have. Parents can take turns jumpstarting the discussion. A few start up tips from vicki levy krupp, coauthor of the kids book club book. Find book club lesson plans and teaching resources. If you all love to read fiction books, this would be an awesome name to go with. The goal of this snuggly family book club time is to share a lovely experience reading and enjoying books. Surely such a club would be bursting with enthusiastic young members. Starting an elementary book club for teachers 3rd 5th.