Book+Activities

Activities that build enthusiasm for reading:

 * Students do independent reading early on in the year and find "favorite books" to share
 * Students design reading response sheets as a class. Make a class chart of "Things We Can Write About Books" and add to it throughout the year. Students use sentence starters on the chart for response sheets. (Some sheets with sentence starters typed should be available as well.) The class then works on a list of what makes a good response sheet, and adds to that chart as well.
 * Response sheets may also be guided instead of open. Questions to ask: "How did the author pull you into the book?" "Where were you when you were reading today?" (Any of these questions can also be answered as a whole class early on in the year, doing charts about a read-aloud or going around a circle and sharing responses to independent reading books.)
 * Vary reader response sheets throughout the year.
 * Practice questioning with strips of colored paper (like a long bookmark). Students write a good question on one side and the answer on the other side, then insert it into the book. Share questions and answers.
 * Author studies: compelling author, has written books at many different levels (ie. James Marshall, Eric Carle). Each day a new book by the author is read aloud and students have a question to answer, such as "How does James Marshall show us that George and Martha are friends?" or "How does James Marshall get you interested in this book?" The question is discussed as a class, then children can go off to read books by the author independently. They keep a list of his books they have read and rate them. Some read as partners (pair stronger readers with weaker readers). Make a chart of "fingerprints" (characteristics) of the author, then have students find evidence of the fingerprints in the books.
 * Make a bound book of the students' favorite / best response sheets about the author, after editing.
 * Finish author study with projects: students choose to do a play, make book posters, bookmarks, make a puppet, or build a scene.
 * After reading many books by an author, vote on the class' favorite.
 * Other good author study authors: Henkes (text-to-self connections), William Steig, Bill Peet, Munsch, non-fiction authors?
 * Study text sets: alphabet books, African folktales, fairy tales (versions), books about bears (can be used to study fiction vs. nonfiction). There can be study groups for different text sets to allow for different levels, or the whole class can do the same one. Use the same format as above: read aloud, discussion, independent reading and response to books in the set, sharing. The study concludes with projects (ie. each child makes a page for a class alphabet big book).