A few weeks into school, our two reading intervention teachers approached me to do a lesson for their students. The goal was to expose the kids to lot of great books in a short period of time; these kids are generally reluctant readers who need extra care and encouragement to find a "just right" book. The intervention teachers knew I did a Book Speed Dating lesson, typically in February, and asked if I could do something similar for their students now... and so the idea for the Book BBQ was born! Contrary to what it sounds like, it's wasn't all Fahrenheit 451 in here during the BBQ. I chose a selection of books that were high-interest/low-level and that had great first lines, TV tie-ins, or other ways to "hook" these reluctant readers. A couple of Dollar Tree decorations later, our Book BBQ was ready! The students had 4-5 minutes at each place setting. Their "menu" had a list of all the books on it; they had to rate the book with a 1-5 star rating. At the end of the period, I took their recommendations and book-talked the best books that they rated to the whole group: The 5 star books were TOO HOT TO HANDLE! I picked them up with BBQ tongs and an oven mitt. It was SO MUCH FUN!
The best part, however, was the excitement on the kids' faces. These reluctant readers didn't want to leave the books behind! They were arguing over who was going be first for a book; asking me to put books on reserve; begging me to get copies from other schools. It was AWESOME. What other themes could we do for a book tastings? Drop a comment below!
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Whether it's checking their hair or makeup, avoiding classwork, or actually answering nature's call, middle school students seem to like to spend inordinate amounts of time in the bathroom, so what better place to promote books to them than the restroom? I decided to make my own tear-off sheets (a la college apartment rental bulletin boards) and hang them up around the school and in the restroom. They looked like this: It was not my idea - I stole it from the Future Ready Librarians Facebook page... but I made ten of these for my students. I sent them to printing and had them printed on cardstock and in full color. When they arrived at school, I was in LOVE with how they turned out! My library helpers hung them up around the school, and almost immediately I had students bring me the little sheets, requesting a book! Whatever it takes to put books in the hands of kids, right? If you want access to my folder full of bathroom signs, you can get it HERE. Note that they are Pages documents, so they will have to be downloaded to a Macbook to be edited. Feel free to make your own with the template, too!
What Bathroom Book advertisements would you suggest I make next? What's new or popular in your building? Drop a comment below and let me know! |
About the AuthorHi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Christine Hurley. This is my 17th year of teaching - I've taught Kindergarten, 4th grade, elementary media, and now I am in my 6th year of teaching middle school media! Archives
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