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What is the choice book challenge?
What is the choice book challenge?
Since this is partially a reading class, our choice book challenge is my classroom program all about giving you the option to read what YOU want to read! I want you to finish as many books as you can this school year. So, once a month, I will ask you to choose a new book to read and give you some time in class to accomplish that reading. My goal is to get you to find books that interest you, so that you will enjoy reading them!
What do I get out of this program?
What do I get out of this program?
From my perspective as a teacher and researcher of reading, you get three pretty awesome gifts as a part of working with this program:
The more you read as an individual, the stronger your writing, vocabulary and processing becomes. I also love competitions, so I the more you read as a class, the more rewards you can earn for the class. I will oftentimes award prizes for readers who are doing an exceptional job or the class that is leading in page or book counts. Who doesn't love prizes?!?!
You earn product points for each of the required novels that you read. This means that you will be asked to complete a task when you are finished reading a book. I don't believe in doing boring old book reports, so the tasks I assign will ask you to use your creativity and create something with the information from your book. This tells me if you actually read the book and helps me see what your strengths are.
You get to escape reality. The best part of picking up a good book is that you can learn about people in different worlds and times and in the process, you develop compassion, understanding and creativity. You get to learn new vocabulary, which will help you in all kinds of things as you get older. Best of all, it gives you time where you don't have to worry about any of the things that are happening in the outside world, and just focus on the characters and people in your book.
Where can I find books for this program?
Where can I find books for this program?
The easy answer to this question is ANYWHERE! I'll give you some suggestions below, but you will be able to find books in many different places, so do NOT feel like you need to go out and buy books unless you really want to.
Some great places to look:
Home: Maybe your parents or siblings have books you want to try out or you have a book that's been sitting on the shelf for a while unread. Give it a try!
JMMS Learning Commons (Library): We will work with the Learning commons staff to get everyone the opportunity to find books.
Mrs. Kerr's Classroom Library: I'll go over the checkout procedures in class for students. I have hundreds of my own books in my classroom that you can use to make sure that you find a "just right" book.
Stark County District Libraries: Our local libraries are a great place to find books! If you don't want to leave your house, check out the Ohio eBook Project. With your Stark Country Library card number, you can check out thousands of eBooks, audio books and magazines. Download them to your phone or tablet by using the Kindle or Libby apps. This is a fantastic resource!!
Scholastic Magazines: Monthly, I will send out the latest Scholastic magazines that give you options of popular books that you can order. Books purchased through this program give our classroom credits and I am then able to purchase additional books for our classroom library. My understanding is that Scholastic will deliver books to the school or to your home this year when you order through them.
What happens if I don't like the book?
What happens if I don't like the book?
So, you start reading a book that you don't like it or it's too easy or difficult. What do you do?
I always make the suggestion that you read at least the first 3 chapters or 35-50 pages. Sometimes a book starts slow and picks up later on. Rarely do authors put the MOST exciting part at the very beginning, so give it a fair chance! Once you have read beyond page 35 or Chapter 3, I advise you to stick with that book since it will limit the amount of time you have to finish and there are due dates for our Choice Books. IF you choose to switch, you'll have to be sure to let me know in our reading conferences!
What qualities should i look for in the books i choose?
What qualities should i look for in the books i choose?
The novels you choose to read must meet these requirements:
Fiction OR Non-Fiction to match our classroom skills. When I assign a book number and due date, I'll let you know if it has to be fiction or non-fiction!
150+ pages of text. It is time to start reading middle school length books, and not just picture books, so find one that will meet this requirement!
That means that the time of reading nothing but "I Survived," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," and "Dork Diaries" has ended. These are GREAT books and very entertaining. You are welcome to read them, just not as a choice book.
Try to vary it up a little--you shouldn't be afraid to try something new or in a different genre than you typically pick! As you mature, your taste in books will change, so go with it!
Something age appropriate--if you choose to read a young adult book and find that the content is too mature for you, you can abandon it at any time!
You will not be permitted to check out a young adult book from our library or the classroom library without parent permission, so keep your parents in the loop about what you are reading!
Something INTERESTING!!! For real, if it is boring, you WON'T READ IT, and I want you to actually read!!! :-)
So, I Found a Book, now What?
So, I Found a Book, now What?
Be sure that if you are borrowing from my classroom library, that you check it out appropriately (we will go over this in class)
Fill out your "Choice Book Challenge" Reading Sheet
As you finish a book, fill out your reading log to keep track of all pages!
What If I finish Early? Can I read more?
What If I finish Early? Can I read more?
If you ever find a Language Arts teacher who says, "Nope! You cannot read any more!", let me know, because I don't think one exists!! Of course you can read more! I want you to read more!
I am all about friendly competition, so I often run competitions in class or against my other classes to show off the number of pages you read. I'd love for this year to be the one that breaks my record of books and pages read (which is PRETTY high!) so READ ALL THAT YOU WANT!
If you finish a book before the three week deadline, it is an excellent opportunity to read a book that challenges you, or finish a series you started last year, or try something you are sure if you will like or not!
What kinds of activities will i do when I finish my book?
What kinds of activities will i do when I finish my book?
The activities that I give you to complete at the end of our month-long window are not just book reports. I may give you that as an option as some point, but mostly you will be given a choice of how you want to represent your book to me. My class offers a lot of CHOICE, so that is present with the products that you complete for these books. As we go through each book, the amount of skill you will have to show will increase because we will have covered more in class to help you get there, so the point value will increase with each book that you read!
But Mrs. Kerr....I am SOOOO busy. When Am I supposed to do all this reading?
But Mrs. Kerr....I am SOOOO busy. When Am I supposed to do all this reading?
I get that life is busy--trust me, I have four kids! I also know that most of us can find a few minutes in the day to read, and that is all I am asking you to do. Research shows that reading just 20 minutes a day can improve your vocabulary, increase your writing skills and help you be better prepared for testing and college. You can find 20 minutes to read in the morning when you come to school before 1st period, during SA, at lunch time, after school or before bed.
I know that you are busy, but I also know that this is a very achievable goal and will help you finish most books well before the due date. Also, you won't have a ton of homework for me, so many nights, the only homework you have is to get your 20 minutes of reading in. You can do it, I promise!
What do I do if I read a book that I really think other people would like?
What do I do if I read a book that I really think other people would like?
I can't wait for you all to start reading and sometimes it can be tough to find good books, especially if you aren't sure where to start. This is where your classmates will really be your best resource! If you want to know what other kids in the class like, you can leave and read through the Book Recommendations that have been made by your peers!
Do you have any suggestions for books?
Do you have any suggestions for books?
I am always ready to give you a book suggestion. Tell me something you read that you enjoyed, and I can almost guarantee I will find you another book that you will like based on that. I love to help kids find that "just right" book choice, so please don't hesitate to ask me! You can talk to me in class, email me, or schedule a book conference and we can talk through any issues you are having and I can help you find the right books!
Here are a few lists to look at to get you started if you need it:
Choice book challenge frequently asked questions (faqs)
Choice book challenge frequently asked questions (faqs)
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