Ideas for middle school book clubs

Provide meaningful selections during book clubs, i offer five or six books that are related either to a whole class text or to each other by topic, theme, genre, or author. As stated in previous sections of this series, mini lessons are not a necessary part of literacy circles book clubs. Bookstores are often interested in hosting book clubs, and will give discounts for book club purchases. This post is the first in a threepart series about how to run a book club in your classroom. Games to break the ice at book discussion groups and other. 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. The classroom book clubs method is more relaxed and less structured than many forms of literature circles, and its flexibility makes it. In the next post, read about how to establish expectations and create a schedule. Putting 100 plus students together in an online community to have conversations can be scary. This miniproject only takes one week of instruction per class that i teach, and it does not take up the entire day for instruction or work. 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. Apr 19, 2018 once a year we run our official book clubs here in 7th grade.

It wasnt that they didnt want to do book clubs, it was that they wanted to have meaningful conversations. Ideas for middle school graphic novel book clubs writing. We usually had a summer picnic, as our last meeting of the school year. Aug 07, 2018 during choice book clubsan exercise we do twice a yeari ask students to look for quotations that transcend context and exemplify how fiction can reveal truth. I typically run book clubs for 46 weeks depending upon the time of year and unit of study, and book clubs will meet once per week usually on thursdays.

Promote a love for literature and a positive attitude towards reading. And as they grow more self aware and independent, we give them all the opportunity to cultivate their unique interests and take a deeper dive in what they enjoy. 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. 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. I read the chapter on book clubs and got a couple of great ideas from it. We started out in the right path, one book a month, but over the years it has been hard to keep the members committed. Here are some other resources to make your book club meetings more meaningful. Thompson sees the parentchild book club as an avenue for conversation and communication.

Middle school activities are sometimes hard to come by. Apr 19, 2017 nycs district 75 published their middle school units of study, developing autonomy when engaging with literature, online. 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. Libraries and schools have rooms you can reserve in advance some even allow snacks. Allow students to browse highquality books from around the world. Purchase this pdf book club activity pack to address anxiety, bullying, or friendship themes with upper elementary or middle school students. This group studies issues relevant to their school and takes action based on what they learn. Book clubs can be set up in a variety of ways considering materials, time, and accountability. Nycs district 75 published their middle school units of study, developing autonomy when engaging with literature, online. 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. How we set up book clubs in middle school pernille ripp. Once a month we discuss a book, and the other weeks we promote reading, play games, and do other fun book related activities.

Book clubs exist all across the nation and range in size from a handful to several dozens. With a broad range of after school clubs and activities to choose from, our middle school students can spend time during and after school connecting with classmates, taking new risks and finding new passions. I reflected on my past practice to gain insight as to why book talks had a short shelf life in my classroom. Printable games for middle school the worst years of my life. You can find a book club reading scheduler, free lessons, worksheets, and activities in my exclusive resource library. From book themed activities to printable discussion questions to interviews with the authors, youll find plenty of inspiration for a.

Usually clubs read the same book, but sometimes clubs may read books by the same author, or read a series of books together that share a common genremystery, historical fiction, fantasyor they may read a collection of disparate books with a common. Literature circle lesson plans for middle school just add students. Seldomridge, a grades 68 project lead the way teacher at granite falls middle school in north carolina, knew a dystopian book club would not only grab students attention, but it would also connect to a range of subjects they were studying. Chatterbooks book clubs can be run by teachers, teaching assistants, student teachers, parents or volunteers. Mchenry middle school comic book club if you wan to have fun with your friends, are a creative thinker, or if you can see yourself becoming involved in this industry some day, then this is the place for you. All you need to set up and run a successful book club or reading group in your school. Book clubs in the middle school ela classroom the hungry. Overbooked, our after school book club, is open to all students. School science club ideas january 16, 2020 by emma vanstone 1 comment lots of people have been asking me for school science club ideas recently, so ive put together a collection of science experiments and activities that i think would work really well for primaryelementary school. In my own motherdaughter group she says, i have found that when the mothers take the time to read, listen and respond to their daughters as readers, they send a powerful message that the girls thoughts and experiences are important. I am working with the parent facilitator to add more clubs, and to make the school more parent and student friendly. How to start a book club for middle school kids how to adult.

Ideas for how to do better book clubs in middle school. Middle school clubs and activities seven hills school. Club, whuch stands for jesus uniting students together. Book clubs have come back as a popular way to allow readers to discuss books in an informal setting. As i shared the titles for this round of book clubs, i was asked a lot of. Students read the book, discussing it along the way. Pennsylvanias caley elementary school also engages parents, thanks to part to the work of school counselor of the year barbara micucci. Aug 09, 2011 jan labonty, a professor in the school of education at the university of montana, adds, book clubs for children serve the same purposes that book clubs for adults do they become a vehicle for excellent conversations about books. The book clubs happen outside of school, at recess, and at times during smallgroup reading. See more ideas about teaching reading, reading workshop and teaching. I am planning to do it for my school library this year. In an effort to battle the idea of book deserts and making sure my classroom library includes all types of books, i have been excited to start graphic novel book clubs this year. The team includes editors, photographers, planners, and designers.

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. Set up an area where the kids can sit comfortably to discuss the book. A book club for kids is one of the best ways to combine learning and fun. Children can enjoy the same kind of communitybuilding experience by meeting with friends to choose, read, and discuss books together. Sure, youve thought of all the generic ideas, but what about something different that will really engage your students. Great books for middle school book clubs pernille ripp. The exception is when you have a book clubs form naturally and you know the kids are reading again, this is the real goal go book clubs, and they dont really need you to much anymore. Many readers are adults here at book riot, but when we were kids, i bet we loved book clubs i know i did. I do smaller assemblies on almost a biweekly basis. Ideas on starting a teen book club in your school library. Youve got a group of friends who love both reading and drinking, so you decide to make the best of this combination. To extend the activity, focus students attention on engaging in respectful.

A group of high school students sitting in a circle, discussing a book. The dvd that comes with the book has lots of other resources on it as well. Sep 26, 2017 brainstorm a list of discussion questions for the middle school kids to use as a guide. This can be as simple as going around the group taking it in turns to introduce yourself and saying what you like to read and what youre looking forward to about the book club if youre new or what you like about the club if youre an established. Very early on in our book club experiences, students had many ideas for how to make them better. Rotating homes can be fun, and from time to time, you can have an outing. Their meetings can come to life with discussions, arts and crafts, and activities. Students meet every other day or so or as often as they wish to briefly discuss what they have read and to map out how much to read next. 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. I am a book club advisor, middle grade and high school. Terupt themesquestion guide sheet o group name and rules sheet o st. Sometimes groups bring in their own books and do that for the club. Looking for club ideas for junior high school and high school.

Yearbook yearbook staff compiles memories from throughout the year to create the middle school yearbook. The founding members as they like to be called are either graduated or in high school now. Whether youre a school librarian or a teacher, allowing time for. Middle school often marks the transition to an active social life for tweens, who may want to spend more time with friends than family. Spoiled princess esperanza moves from her familys ranch in mexico to a migrant camp during the great depression.

As stated in previous sections of this series, mini lessons are not a necessary part of literacy circlesbook. Some students do not enjoy sharing their ideas in front of the whole class and book clubs provide a safe space for students. Host a free tutoring service for students who need math help. So today we are going to explore 25 proven activities that can be applied to any book and at any age level. Simply put, a book club is a group of readers, usually three or four, who read books roughly in sync with each other. Volunteer at middle schools to help kids with their math homework. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center for the. If youre thinking about starting book clubs or youre lookin.

Sep 29, 2017 it could be the arrival of the book clubs flyers from scholastic, which are a great resource to build your classroom library, or maybe even eavesdropping on student conversations about the latest it book. Several years ago i started a middle school book club as a way to encourage my kids to read great some classic literature and enable them to discuss the books with their friends. Naming the club can go from a general name, to the more specific drinking habits of the group. These groups typically consist of female genders and meet up regularly to discuss each other thoughts from the books. Through the activities we added in, they also got a chance to bring the stories to life. Hold contests for who can memorize the most digits of pi. Jesse aarons knows all about hard work, but his new friend leslie. Take the principalcounselorparent book club she runs a club that does more than just read. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center. Charity clubs are clubs that are linked to a specific charity with the goal of raising awareness, working for that charity, or raising money for that charity such as operation smile. Explore options for setting up and running a book club. For example, if the book selection is a harry potter story, make butterbeer with the kids. 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. The math beasts camp 79 summer program is designed for students who have just completed a prealgebra or algebra 1 equivalent math class.

I teach middle school and would like to come up with something to do for an afterschool activity. In 201617, my ninth graders read popular young adult titles by authors such as john green, rainbow rowell, and ernest cline. This post outlines how i conducted my miniproject with my sixthgrade students and the considerations that were made for including graphic novels in choice reading time. We share these passages along with the wisdom they reveal by creating posters with sharpies and designing padlets, and we discuss these ideas in pairs and small groups. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford. School science club ideas science experiments for kids. I could say i have half middle school and half high school. In it they list some of the benefits of book clubs in the classroom. Science club the science club is open to middle school students in all grades with an interest in the subject. At your first book club meeting, or whenever new people join your reading group, its good to spend a bit of time getting to know each other.

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. So i check journal entries and the completion of book club activities, and. Granite falls middle school in north carolina, knew a dystopian book club would not only grab. Whilst you may have a wealth of books in your school library it can often be tough to come up with fresh and engaging ways to study literature. Stealing this for next years middle school book club idea kids book club, book club. She learns to rely on her inner strength and the support of her family. Get your child involved in coming up with an activity to do with the book. By getting her friends involved, she can enjoy new books, discussions and activities. The one that i plan to us is the video modelling what a book club discussion is supposed to look like with real students discussing a real text. Scholastic book clubs is the best possible partner to help you get excellent childrens books into the hands of every child, to help them become successful lifelong readers and discover the joy and power of good books. How to run a fullchoice book club in your classroom. 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.

Hold a pi day bake sale where you sell pies for charity. I am a middle school librarian and i love, love, love this idea. Jan 19, 2020 hobby clubs are clubs that stem from an interest in a hobby that most likely wouldnt be taught in high school such as chess, anime, video games, and skiing. The worst years of my life has been turned into a movie and im guessing lots of book clubs, schools and libraries will be taking a look at this book and putting together games and activities for kids to get them interested in reading the books. Find ideas for discussions and activities your book club will enjoy. This means that they will meet with their groups 46 times, so this will equates to approximately 50 pages of reading across 5 weeks for a 250page book. Sep, 2017 so yeah, food is a big deal when it comes to teens and library programs. Once a year we run our official book clubs here in 7th grade.

See more ideas about school clubs, school counseling and school. Minilessons that support effective book clubs center for. Book clubs are a great way to engage students with reading and help build a reading culture at your school. Reading is a social activity and we love talking about what we read. Sep 14, 2016 middle school activities are sometimes hard to come by. Apr 17, 2014 several years ago i started a middle school book club as a way to encourage my kids to read great some classic literature and enable them to discuss the books with their friends. I teach middle school and would like to come up with something to do for an after school activity. Reflect a studentcentered model of literacy employing the gradual. Draw the main character from a book you have recently. When i wrote a grant in the fall for 100 graphic novels, the mission was. Reading isnt always considered cool, but a book club is a way for your middle school child to take control of her reading.

The literature circle unit is complete, easy to use for book clubs, and covers the key elements of literature. I hope the book club questions above help you get more out of your book club discussions. Books have always been very important to my family. With over 50 pages, the complete unit for book clubs is all youll need to successfully run literature circles for any novel. Suitable for pupils of all ages and all stages of reading. Book clubs may have a specific theme or include miniature games during their meetups. Book club for kids discussion questions, reading guide.