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Better Book Clubs
Deepening Comprehension and Elevating Conversation
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Better Book Clubs will help you launch and maintain effective book club experiences by highlighting assessment and instructional practices that support the dual goals of stronger comprehension (thinking) and better conversations (talk). Writing with the practical teacher in mind, author Sara Kugler offers plenty of inspiration and ideas to get you started—whether you’re new to book clubs, you’re developing your confidence around them, or you’re ready to refine your responsiveness within this familiar practice.
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In this comprehensive guide, literacy coach and staff developer Sara Kugler shows you how to combine the power of book clubs with assessment-driven instruction to support your students as they talk and think about texts together. Using authentic book club conversations as an assessment of academic talk and text understanding, Kugler raises the bar on typical professional discussions about book clubs, moving beyond teacher-directed interactions and surface-level conversations to include:
- Structures, teaching methods, and routines that support authenticity and independence in book clubs
- Suggestions for starting, scaffolding, and sustaining effective, student-centered book clubs
- Tips for listening in on clubs as a way to assess academic talk and text understanding
- Methods for moving from observation into instruction that improves conversation and comprehension
- Touchstone anchor charts and sample lessons for launching and maintaining strong clubs at a variety of independence levels
With a dual focus on stronger comprehension and improved conversations,Better Book Clubs will help you establish effective book clubs that will engage your readers, enhance your learning communities, and become an indispensable component of your literacy classroom.
About the Author(s)
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Purpose and Power of Book Clubs
Authentic Book Club Experiences
The Benefits of Book Clubs
How This Book Works
Chapter 1: Grounding Book Clubs in the Predictability of Workshop
Traditional Workshop Versus Workshop with Book Clubs
Preparing Students for Book Clubs Within the Reading Workshop
Chapter 2: Scaffolding Toward Book Club Conversations
Interactive Read-Aloud
Whole-Class Conversation
Read-Aloud Book Clubs
Chapter 3: Forming Groups and Launching Book Clubs
Forming Flexible Groups
Scheduling Book Clubs
Club Identity
Chapter 4: Utilizing Talk as an Assessment
Observing and Listening as Data Collection
Analyzing the Assessment
Redefining "Assessment"
Chapter 5: Teaching for Comprehension and Conversation
Prioritizing
Crafting a Worthy Goal
From Planning to Teaching
Chapter 6: Growth over Time
Looking for Shifts over Time
Following Rules Versus Making Decisions
Appendix A: Noticed/Next Steps Matrix
Appendix B: Book Club Planning Document
Appendix C: Touchstone Anchor Charts and Sample Lessons
Bibliographies
Professional Bibliography
Children’s Literature Bibliography
Index
