Book Talks

About Book Talks

Creating a reading culture in our classrooms may be difficult when we do not talk about books with our students. I've found that Book Talks are a quick and effective method to engage students with books. I start every class period with a Book Talk, which takes about 3-5 minutes. Then I informally poll my students to know why they may or may not want to read the book. This also serves as feedback to stop sharing the book if it's not receiving enough interest. I have my students read one book of their choice every semester and create a Book Talk based on it. I give students a rubric for them to grade how well I did in my Book Talk, which is the same rubric they will be graded on when they deliver their Book Talk. Having them grade me has been crucial in familiarizing them with the rubric they will be graded on eventually.

I used to have students sign up for their Book Talk and I threatened to take away their points without possibility of making it up--harsh. I know. Students ended up forgetting their date and sometimes I forgot too, and I did not have enough time to fit in their Book Talk. So, I decided that students could present their Book Talk whenever they were ready to present it. When we had a busy day, I asked them to present next time, and when we had a short lesson, I had more students present their book talk. If students waited until the last day of the term to do their book talk, I was okay with that, too.

In the past I have had students give their Book Talk in any format they'd like: Presentation style, PowerPoint, videos, etc. However, I want to try to build their digital literacy and 21st century skills this year by having them create their Book Talk using Adobe Spark Videos like the ones I have shared on this site.

Additionally, I will turn the URL to their Book Talk into a QR Code that I will display on our walls and on our hallway for parent teacher conference and to recommend books to others. Helping students enjoy reading is my passion, and helping them share their voices regarding reading is my mission! Why keep their Book Talks within the walls of our classroom when they're meant to be enjoyed by others?

It is difficult to keep up with new titles, read the book, create a book talk, then share it with students. That is why I decided to share these Book Talks with other teachers. Feel free to share them with your students and challenge them to create their own!