Book Clubs
I didn’t really like reading when I was in middle school. I
think it was more of a product of mostly being told what to read and the fact
that we had to take tests over the books we did read as our choice. I was quite
opposed to accelerated reader and still am really. Having to do this took the joy
out of the books I was reading. It reduced it to a performance task instead of
an enriching experience that I looked forward to doing. Since doing the book clubs,
I have realized that this would be a much better and more effective option to
programs like accelerated reader. Students are able to read and enjoy books
they select without having to be “tested” over the contents of the books. Another
great feature of the book club is that students are able to discuss the books
with each other, so teachers are still able to assess understanding of topics
in the book. I think using sticky notes is almost necessary when doing book
clubs because it gives students the opportunity to summarize and take concise
notes on texts. It allows teachers another way to assess students’ understanding
and to make sure they are getting the concepts the books are intended to highlight.
I have enjoyed the book club and wished I was exposed to this when I was in
grade school.
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Hey Sam! I agree with you on how accelerated reader isn't the best method of encouraging students to read, I think that it puts a lot of pressure on students and it's no fun when you don't make your goal and miss the accelerated reader incentives (my school always did pizza parties). I like what you said about the sticky notes for book clubs because this will definitely help the student's understanding of the book and it's important to emphasize to make sure they take notes as they're reading instead of after. Great post! (94)
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