Book Club Anyone?
From the desk of Carol C. . .
I love a book club. Reading the same book and discussing it with my friends brings me such joy. Can our students feel the same way? Some fourth teachers decided to give it a try. Here’s how it went.
First, each student in fourth grade was assessed to determine his or her instructional reading level. The teachers used these assessments to split the grade level into small groups (no more than 5 students each) by putting kids who read at approximately the same level together. (These groups were fluid throughout the year.) Then every group was able to choose the book they wanted to read from an array at their level. (There were at least 5 copies of each title.) The students had one week to read their books.
At the end of the week the kids came together with the other members of their book club and discussed what they had read. Each teacher had several groups in her classroom. While the groups were discussing their books, the teachers walked around, listened in, talked with each club, and took notes on what they saw and heard. At the end of the time the groups chose a book for the next week. (If the book was especially long, the club decided how much would be read by the next meeting.)
The teachers and students love book club for the same reasons I do. It’s social. The kids are able to interact with their peers. They have someone to talk to about what they have read. This is always a bonus after reading a book. It allows them to defend their opinions and clear up any misunderstandings they had while they read.
I was lucky enough to observe the books clubs in action one week. As I walked around I noticed each member of a club contributed to the conversation. I heard discussions that reflected deep thinking. They, also, showed that a great deal of reflection was going on.
“I don’t think that’s what it means.”
“I’ve read this author before, and he likes to write about people who face challenges.”
“Did anyone understand the first paragraph on page 87?”
“I hadn’t thought about that, but I think you’re right.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to the kids’ interactions with each other. Each book club offered insights into their reading regardless of the level of the book. It was so exciting to see the students’ joy in those classrooms!
Throughout last year one way the teachers saw how much their students were achieving in reading was by conducting formative assessments during book club. The notes they took provided evidence that their kids were comprehending at higher and higher levels. On the other hand the notes, also, pointed out who needed more reading support.
At the end of the year the teachers compared their students’ scores on the end of year tests to those of the previous year. Every student grew and most showed double digit growth! While high level teaching, working with small groups each day, and ongoing assessment contributed to this rise in scores, the teachers felt that book clubs contributed to their students’ increase in reading comprehension.
Maurice Sendak said, “There is so much more to a book than reading.” Books spark the imagination, introduce us to new language, carry us to places and ideas we had no idea existed, and give us the opportunity to expand our understanding of ourselves and the world. In other words books make us think. Then when we’re able to talk with other people about something we’ve read, it takes our thinking even deeper.
“To be able to talk to your heart’s content about a book you like with someone who feels the same way about it is one of the greatest joys that life can offer.”–Haruki Murakami