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Book clubs and beyond
- 1. Book Clubs and Beyond: Encouraging Reading for Pleasure and Personal Growth 4 May 2017 Presenter: Nicole Marton – U.S. Fulbright Scholar | Cahul, Moldova
- 2. Objectives Discover important benefits of reading that will increase one’s motivation to read more. Discuss in-classroom and out-of-the-classroom methods to encourage reading. Learn strategies for starting and facilitating a successful book club. Become familiar with online reading platforms. Reflect on my own experiences with book clubs.
- 3. Why Read?
- 4. Benefits of Reading Mental Stimulation Stress Reduction Increased Diversity of Knowledge Vocabulary Expansion Improved Memory Increased Empathy Stronger Critical and Analytical Thinking Skills Improved Focus and Concentration Better Writing Skills Improved Mood Free Entertainment
- 5. Strategies to Increase Student Reading Classroom Reading Intensive Extensive Book Clubs
- 6. Classroom Reading: Intensive Teachers choose short and very interesting texts (30-35 minutes maximum) Push student levels/build skills Make detailed analysis of content and vocabulary, using dictionaries and other tools Test for comprehension and vocabulary retention Extensive Students choose their own longer texts to read over an extended period of time. Adhere to student level or err slightly below level/maintain already developed skills, instead stressing reading for pleasure No more than 4-5 unknown words per page, which should be easily deciphered from context (avoid using dictionaries) Evaluation done with book reports, summaries, creative writing, and artwork based on students’ interpretations and takeaways.
- 7. Classroom Reading: Intensive News articles Informative pieces Short stories Blog posts Extensive Graded Readers Bilingual Books Native Novels/Novellas Magazines Comic Books
- 8. My Intensive Reading Method 1. Pre-reading vocabulary 2. Pre-reading predictions 3. Listening to the story in its entirety without stopping 4. Asking students how much they picked up 5. Student reading paragraph by paragraph 6. Translating (in groups) 7. Post-translation comprehension questions that deal with the plot, characters, setting and theme 8. Vocabulary quizzes 9. Writing or art assignment 10. Film adaptation with comparison to text version
- 9. Student Reading Paragraph by Paragraph Round Robin Popcorn Popsicle sticks Choral Reading Partner Reading Echo Reading The Crazy Professor Reading Game
- 10. Book Clubs
- 11. Book Clubs: Benefits No marks = less anxiety = better marks Everyone is engaged Increase confidence in speaking publicly Develop leadership and accountability Read material you may not otherwise have chosen, and perhaps learn in a fun and interesting way about subjects you’d otherwise find uninteresting Interact with different viewpoints during in-depth discussions; learn how to gracefully disagree with someone and appreciate alternate ideas; discover your inherent values and maybe your unfounded biases Experience other cultures (“travel” virtually) Become a more successful writer and build creative ideas more easily Make friends
- 12. How to Have a Successful Book Club Start planning a couple months early Have participants sign up, and make sure that everyone is more or less on the same reading level. It may also be a good idea to limit participation to a certain number Involve interested participants in choosing a day of the week and time Establish a location, or talk to participants about rotating the location Involve participants in choosing a theme *including whether they prefer short stories or full-length books) and a NAME! Make a list of books/stories (make sure it is a realistic amount for how long you plan your club will be active), and let participants contribute ideas Create a Facebook page for your book club, where you can post reminders about meetings, and where participants can continue discussions Make a Goodreads account for the group; or have each participant make their own account, and create a group Have food and drinks at the meeting Decide if the bulk of reading should be done at home or during the club meetings Rotate the leader who will facilitate the discussion each week. This person should come prepared with questions for the group. Decide if you want your reading to be intensive or extensive.
- 14. Online Platforms Story Nory Many Things Project Gutenberg Read Print Many Books Librivox International Children’s Digital Library Bibliomania Open Library The Literature Network
- 15. Exploring Culture through American Literature Exploring Culture through American Literature" is an English Reading Club investigating racial, cultural, ...ethnic, and gender conflict in United States history through the reading and discussion of American short stories and excerpts from American novels. Come learn about a lesser-known side of American history, while improving your English language skills and cultural awareness. Discover how literature can expose injustice and contribute to its resolution.
- 16. Exploring Culture through American Literature Who’s Passing for Who? by Langston Hughes Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin The Homecoming by Frank Yerby The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Trifles by Susan Glaspell Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Editor's Notes
- In this presentation, I will speak about the many benefits of reading activities such as book clubs for students, including increasing vocabulary and comprehension skills, critical thinking, creativity, and even writing ability. It will discuss some methods of starting a successful book club and choosing themes and materials that keep students engaged and increase their love of reading. Finally, I will talk about my personal experience being a part of a book club and facilitating a book club at the university here in Cahul.
- Why do we as teachers encourage reading? Please answer in the comments box.
- http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-read-everyday.html
- Despite all these inherent benefits to reading, and despite the fact that reading can induce intense pleasure and satisfaction in someone reading in their first language, foreign language learners tend to express distaste at reading in their target language.
- Intensive = building skills (the problem with this method is that if it is done alone, it can become very exhausting for students, so you want to alternate intensive exercises with extensive exercises) Extensive = maintaining skills and gaining confidence in those skills (I might suggest collecting students’ phones; also take them to the park or to a quite cafe http://www.thepolyglotdream.com/intensive-vs-extensive-reading/
- http://www.thepolyglotdream.com/intensive-vs-extensive-reading/ https://is.muni.cz/th/152953/pedf_b/bakalarska_prace.pdf
- *Mention Beauty and the Beast specifically here* Talk about how I do intensive reading in the classroom: first doing pre-reading vocabulary exercises; asking the students to predict what the story will be about based on the vocabulary; then listening to the story in its entirety without stopping and asking students how much they picked up; then going through the story paragraph by paragraph and asking students to read so that they develop phonetic skills; asking students to translate the paragraphs in their entirety (many times I’ll have students break up into groups to do this); and afterwards asking them comprehension questions that deal with the plot, characters, setting and theme, as well as with the new vocabulary words; but then I also try to incorporate an element of the extensive reading afterwards by having them complete a writing assignment or an art assignment for homework, and whenever I can I look for film adaptations of the short stories we read so that they can get more English language exposure but also get it visually and not just auditorily, and students love coming to class when they know they will get to watch a movie.
- https://www.edutopia.org/blog/alternatives-to-round-robin-reading-todd-finley
- All of these strategies I use in the classroom I also use in the book club that I facilitate this semester, but before I get into the specifics of that, I want to talk a little bit about why book clubs are beneficial to students and to people in general, and how anyone can start a book club.
- http://www.thereadingclub.co.uk/lifelong-benefits-of-joining-a-book-club.html The work isn’t graded, so not only is it less stressful, but it is more honest. Students won’t feel like they have something to prove. And they may feel more comfortable to speak up knowing their daily grade doesn’t depend on it. But, unknowingly, they will be improving themselves and improving their confidence and skills, and therefore may end up speaking up more in class, which will have the effect of actually IMPROVING their classroom grade. The students that come actually want to be there, so as a facilitator and teacher, you don’t have to worry about unengaged students spoiling the atmosphere.\ Everyone knows that reading expands your horizons and book clubs help to do this at an even greater level, with the in-depth discussions and assimilations of different viewpoints all contributing to increasing your knowledge and appreciation of the world around you. Joining a reading group can also help to extend your reading, as you'll be tempted to try different types of books that you might not otherwise have chosen by yourself. Many people can become accustomed to the comfort of reading in a favourite genre and may not realise how much they might actually enjoy an altogether different type of book, until they are persuaded to try by other members of the reading group. Despite not having a formalised classroom structure, reading groups are actually a fantastic place to promote learning. Discussing books helps to reinforce things in your mind and enable you to retain information better. In addition, the informal learning environment means that there is less fear of "failing" or humiliation before classmates, whilst the urge to participate means that people will be more motivated to read the book and gain the information. Each new book allows you the opportunity to "start afresh" and "do better" - whether it is with more participation, improved leadership of discussions, more commitment to reading or simply better retention of the information learnt. Book clubs enable you to appreciate otherwise "dry" topics within the context of an involving story - for example, reading books set in certain periods allow you to learn more about history, without the dread of boring facts and dates. Book clubs can also be great ways to travel and appreciate other cultures - not only through the books themselves but also through any members with different backgrounds. And discussing these differences helps everyone to understand them by placing them within a larger context. Participating in reading group discussions does wonders for your communication skills, teaching you to listen to different points of view and different ways of expression, as well as "discuss and disagree" without resorting to emotional arguments. It teaches you to be both honest and yet tactful, which is a difficult but extremely valuable skill. It provides great experience for use in other arenas, such as work and business - and even family events - so that you learn to express yourself appropriately and accept disagreements without taking it personally. For those shy of public speaking, book clubs are a great way to start practising expressing your opinions to an audience or summarising information and presenting it in a coherent and engaging way. Reading groups with a rotating roster of leaders means that everyone has a chance to practise their leadership skills and the management of a group of people, with different backgrounds and opinions. Book clubs can help you appreciate books that you had rejected in your childhood or within the confines of your school curriculum, as the imminent discussion motivates you to read with more purpose and attention. In particular, having to present a book to the group helps you to crystallise and categorise the information so that it can be conveyed easily and efficiently. For those with writing aspirations, book clubs can be a wonderful breeding ground for ideas as well as provide the motivation for you to pen your own literary masterpiece. Listening to other people's assessment of a book and their discussion of likes and dislikes about plot, character and style, can help enormously in your quest to become a better, more successful writer. Last but not least, book clubs are great social forums and provide many opportunities to meet and befriend new people from all walks of life, as well as providing an enjoyable and meaningful addition to your social calendar.
- Make sure the students that sign up are ones that are really committed to being regular participants. If I could go back, I would do this. I never had sign ups for my book club, and I never know when I’ll have 10 people or when I’ll have no one. Also, there is never a guarantee that who shows up will be at the right level to understand the story I have picked out. And I think a lot of the hesitation with coming is that people weren’t able to choose what we were reading. I had an idea for a theme based on literature that I find interesting and issues that I think are relevant and important, but other people may not feel the same way.
- Real American Heroes: Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy), Paul Farmer (Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder), Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, etc. Popular series like the Hunger Games or Harry Potter Current World Events – have students bring in articles (make sure they are from reputable news sources) Books turned into Oscar-winning movies Girl Power book club
- https://www.lifewire.com/download-free-books-3482754
- Every month we had a theme, Black History in February, Women’s History in March, and Immigrant stories in April and May