Starting a school book club

Starting a high school homeschool book club book clubs are a great way to encourage each other to delve into literature and share your thoughts. Maybe you love to read, and you want to participate in a book focused social activity. Why you should start a book club with your coworkers. Alert friends, family, and coworkers that youre starting a club. Finally, youll get much more buyin from students if youre passionate about book club. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford. 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. Your first step is deciding what you want your club to focus on.

Start a book club for kids whether your childs a bookworm or a struggling reader, sharing a book with others is way more fun than reading solo. Dec 01, 2016 starting a book club at work can be a great way to enrich your workplace experience, but it can be tricky to get past your first meeting. But there is more to starting a book club than you might think. A book club is a great activity any time of year, but it works particularly well in the summer when schedules are more relaxed. Address the qualities of literary merit, and have kids really judge the book way beyond i liked it or i didnt like it. And since many of your friends are probably also loading up their ereaders, its an ideal time to start a virtual book club. How to start a book club for kids in your homeschool community. Often, people choose book club names based on the types of books that they read. This season, you can try making a special book club for your kids by creating this. Here are some details to consider while building a community of readers.

Go from department to department with your team and personally invite teachers to join in. One of the most important parts of a book club is the books you choose to read. Emphasize what youll be doing, and youll be sure to find some loyal members. Tips for running a successful, sustainable book club. Book clubs have come back as a popular way to allow readers to discuss books in an informal. A book club is a great way to meet new friends and read good books.

In a school setting, the clubs meet weekly or fortnightly. Will you add a variety of books to your reading list or stick to a certain theme. Here are 10 tips to help you start and run a community book club. Many readers are adults here at book riot, but when we were kids, i bet we loved book clubs i know i did. School book club gets kids and adults involved beyond social activities and fundraising. If youre looking for a book club to join, check with your library. Its a great way to connect with others in a group setting, over the content you read individually.

Interview them briefly about the types of books they like to read, and why theyre interested in joining a book club. Book clubs for kids basically, the purpose of a book club for kids is twofold. Put up posters around school and at your local library, add something to the schools morning announcements, send a mass email. Benefits of starting a book club at your workplace. A book club shouldnt feel like a lesson, so you need to guard against working towards a set of outcomes and allow the discussion to follow the interest of the group. Mar 18, 2020 there are a lot of different social media platforms out there, but facebook is among the best for organizing group activities, including an online book club. Posted in book club, freebies, literacy, middle school, professional reading.

Preparation is key to a successful club, but it doesnt all have to fall on one persons shoulders. May 04, 2020 most clubs are hobby clubs, such as book club, chess club, garden club, math club, knitting club, running club, and science club. Tch laureate genevieve debose akinnagbe shares ten steps for starting a community book club. How to start a book club for teens welcome to the family. If you are in a book club and have some ideas to share, id love to hear from. Aug 15, 2014 how can you keep your book club from fizzling out. 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. Clubs work best when kids can read somewhat independently. But youll find likeminded book lovers at the following triedandtested places.

Then i started a facebook group for just the book club and referred parents to that group. Starting a book club can be an intimidating endeavor. I put a post in on our local homeschool facebook group. In this post, well share 12 helpful tips for starting a book club for kids. Chances are that there are other teachers in your building who are just as interested in starting a faculty book club.

Successful groups select good books, have interesting discussions, and foster community. 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. Here are five benefits of starting an employee book club. When prospective members contact you for more information, explain the purpose of the book club and the number of members youre looking for.

Putting 100 plus students together in an online community to have conversations can be scary. Oct 14, 2015 find more advice on starting your book club in nikkis guide. Tips for starting a book club in your school plus resources that describe the benefits of reading. How to start an online book club on goodreads reading by. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. Maybe your book club will attract more members over time.

If you are starting a book club with your friends, then you need to find the perfect name for your club. In fact, by putting the word social first they give the impression that this social aspect is possibly even more important than the books. Joining a book club can seem impossible, if you dont know where to look. Gather everyone together to discuss the first book option, the permanent meeting location and time, how the book club will. Websites like are free to join, easy to use, and allow all the members of your club to post on a communal site. Create enticing posters to be hung in department offices, faculty cafeterias, etc. Try to make these flyers eyecatching and interesting to. This will help you and eventually other members of your book club select titles. Maybe you could draw on a professional development fund.

Chandler has been a member of a bunch of them and has some tips for you and your book club. Here are five top tips for when youre starting off your club. You cant be sending out those book club invitation letters without having a strategy first. Joining or starting book clubs is one of the best ideas to get your kids reading. How to start a book club for middle school kids how to adult.

A book club for kids is one of the best ways to combine learning and fun. Here are the steps i have taken to get things started on facilitating a book study for a group titled school leaders as readers. He held inperson book clubs in the past but believes the digital version could be an improvement. When i decided to start our second book club, i felt much more at ease with the process. Its up to you to keep the ball rollingconversation going. Power of reading compelled corey peters to start high. Get permission from the school s administration to start the club on campus. Peters recently launched a virtual book club called the corey peters playbook to provide an educational outlet for all arizona high school students during the covid19 crisis. Check with an administrator if you want to start a club at your school. If you want your kids to feel an attachment to their book club, consider building it around a theme that resonates.

Aug 09, 2017 looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. Look for commitment and set it in stone, if possible. Whether youre a school librarian or a teacher, allowing time for students to chat about books and reading helps to engage. Many book clubs center around a theme, which is reflected in its name. Put up posters in your halls and hand out flyers about your book club. If you and several friends are already interested in forming a book club, congratulations. Sep 18, 2015 yes, i do know how to start a book club. You know who they are theyre those teachers who are the gogetters, the ones who automatically seek to make themselves better via professional development, the ones who want to contribute to the grander success of the school. How to start a book club for kids pbs kids for parents. If your school allows it, create and post flyers a week or two before the first meeting that briefly state the club s name, purpose, and time and date of the first meeting.

Stay close by without taking over the meeting so the middle school kids have a chance to run the book club 1. The first step in starting a successful teen book club is to choose a purpose for the club. Not only does he talk about starting book clubs among many other reading topics, he includes a treasury of book titles in the back to help choose books for children of all ages. How to start a book club in your school and community. Consider starting a blog or an online forum to keep track of the club. 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. Jul 12, 2018 your christian book club is likely to evolve as time goes by, but in starting, its best to keep it organized. Your book club s name helps anchor its identity, the same way a book title sets the stage for a great novel. Your guide to starting a book club in your school oxford education. Also, designate the time, place, and supervising adults for the club. You could also form a faithbased club, a club dedicated to volunteering, a club that raises awareness of an issue, or a club for professionals of a certain industry. Ive only had experience with mine, so ill share how ours is organized and why i believe weve had such endurance. If it is to share a book and have the group members read for enjoyment, then it would require the content to be of interest to each of the group members. How to start a virtual book club with your friends.

Here at pi, members of the executive team regularly attend and sometimes host our monthly book club. To begin, start by deciding what type of books your book club will read. For example, a mystery book club might name itself after sherlock holmes or baker street. Thus, if you want to start a group a great place to begin can be with your friends but dont assume that they share your expectations about the sort of books to read or how the club will run. If youre longing to share with others, want more motivation to keep up on your own reading list, or just like the camaraderie of a club, the easiest way to get involved is to check out your local, library, parent organization, neighborhood or church group. So, here are a few helpful tips, decide what kind of book club. Book clubs are the perfect way to get your readers reading. Like a traditional book club, online book clubs will need some structure in order to function successfully. Offer the discussion question list and activity materials to the book club members. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. Get together a core group it is much easier to start a book club with two or three people who already have some connection.

Buy a chatterbooks group leaders toolkit, or invest in a training day for staff. This name immediately lets us understand that there is a strong social element to this club. From the emphasis on english proficiency in school to pressure on young people to fit in, heritage language learners are constantly exposed to signals that their mother tongue is secondary or, even worse, unimportant. Jul 20, 2018 6 insights gained from our heritage language book club 1. Cardinals corey peters starts virtual book club for high school students cardinals kingsbury can already take patriots qb jarrett stidham seriously cardinals wrs hopkins, fitzgerald in. A few startup tips from vicki levy krupp, coauthor of the kids book club book. 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.

Nevertheless it can help to have some prepared questions or statements to kick start the discussion. Goodreads is one of my favorite social media tools. Sometimes you might find enough people to start a book club right away. Is your school launching a new program or initiative. Very early on in our book club experiences, students had many ideas for how to make them better. Book clubs services to schools national library of new zealand. How to start a christian book club pen and the pad. 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. How to set up a book club in your school, including ideas for key questions for your discussion. Your goal should be between 5 and 15 people, so everyone gets a chance to speak.

You can do this on a monthtomonth basis or you can choose all of the titles the club will read together at the beginning of the year. Many book clubs start when a few friends get together and decide that theyd like to meet to discuss books on a regular basis. Looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. Be prepared with a list of other works by the same author or other books in the same genre. The ideal size of a book club is between 8 and 16 members. Reading groups and book clubs are a hugely popular way of engaging readers and are a way into opening the box of reading delights. You can also try joining real simples noobligation book club. Ask questions that require the kids to open their books and turn to specific pages. Sep 26, 2017 set up an area where the kids can sit comfortably to discuss the book. Life kit heres how to start a book club that actually meets, has a focus, fosters good discussion and steers clear of logistical nightmares.

Another great resource for starting a kids book club is the readaloud handbook by jim trelease. Children can enjoy the same kind of communitybuilding experience by meeting with friends to choose, read, and discuss books together. 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. Perhaps your kids have joined a book club at school or at the library. How to start a book club for elementary students with images. For your first book, choose something you know people are interested in, maybe a book youve heard others talk about, or one thats been made into a popular movie. But to get it going and sustain it for the long run. Lots of kids wish that their school had a book club, but very few actually have the drive to make it happen. Jot down questions as you read the book, or do an online search for guided questions.

When parents at northwood elementary school in hilton, new york, wanted to become more involved in school academics, dorothy distefano came up with the idea of starting a book club. Sep 14, 2017 a book club can be an affordable, informal way to grow as a leader. Lets take for example a real book club named the social book club. You can get monthly book recommendations and free teaching notes as part of our oxford education book club.

To make a book club meeting a captivating experience for everyone, create an entire event around your discussions a wooded picnic for a story like alice in wonderland, for example. Now that the boys are in middle school, a lot has changed, but the book club we started back in the day is still going strong, and ive come to love it for more reasons than i could have fathomed. Starting a bo ok club at work can be a great way to enrich your workplace experience, but it can be tricky to get past your first meeting. The more enjoyable each meeting is, the more excited your children and you will be to do it again and again. For those of us who homeschool, book clubs can become a great opportunity for learning as well as social interaction. Mention your club to your friends and people you think will be interested. Follow the steps below to start a club that is interesting, wellrun, and will last a long time. Apr 19, 2018 once a year we run our official book clubs here in 7th grade. Meet at one anothers homes, book a free room at your local library, or gather outside at a park for a bookthemed picnic. Many book clubs have sprung up to connect readers during social distancing. Ask around the office, playgroups, your church, or civic organizations. When kids participate in a book club, they can have a blast, while they reap the incredible benefits of reading.

Interview them briefly about the types of books they like to read, and. Parents at northwood elementary get involved in school academics by participating in a school book club that promotes fun and a love of reading. Great books for middle school book clubs pernille ripp. In a book club, everyone reads the same book and then discusses it with the other members. Is the purpose of your book club to read or to socialize. Starting a book club many book clubs start when a few friends get together and decide that theyd like to meet to discuss books on a regular basis. Aug 05, 2017 my successful experiences with book club are, in large part, due to the love and energy our school librarian dedicates to her space. There are lots of book clubs out there now, and theres more than one way to run a successful one. Its more fun to read the same book with your buddies, which is why book clubs are especially great for reluctant readers. Just follow these basic guidelines and make adjustments to best meet the needs of your school community. How to start a family book club scholastic parents. 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. There are a lot of different social media platforms out there, but facebook is among the best for organizing group activities, including an online book club.

In our club, we choose the titles at the start of the school year. Maybe you enjoy a unique genre of books, and you want to discuss them with somebody who understands. Post or email thoughtprovoking quotes from the bookofchoice. Now that you know all about high school clubs and why youd want to start your own, lets get started. A great way to gather a large diverse group is to invite 35 people and ask each of them to invite 3 or 4 friends. A book club can be an affordable, informal way to grow as a leader. How to start a middle school book club education possible. Corey peters starts virtual book club for arizona high.

This stepbystep guide will help you start a book club that can last for years. Aug 18, 2017 a book club for kids is one of the best ways to combine learning and fun. 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. Find this pin and more on catchy slogans by the blog millionaire podcast. 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. Book clubs have come back as a popular way to allow readers to discuss books in an informal setting. This post is the first in a threepart series about how to run a book club in your classroom. See if theres a local book club you can join thats already up and running. Sep 03, 2015 setting up a book club is quite simple. Many schools require that new clubs have a teacher or staff member to oversee them, as well as the signatures of students who would be interested in joining. Parents can take turns jumpstarting the discussion. How to run a fullchoice book club in your classroom. Here are some reasons to consider starting one with your coworkers. You finally have the time to cross some books off your toberead list.