Deep Conversations in Fourth Grade Book Groups

Fourth grade has been reading Castle in the Attic and Into the Land of the Unicorns. Both of these fantasy books have the exciting plot that one would expect to find in a fantasy book, but along with the plot, these books include themes that students can grapple with and allow for them to engage in deep conversations. Early on in each book, the characters are faced with decisions about how to treat other characters or creatures in the book and as the plot evolves, the bigger issues that become the predominant themes emerge.

Students' preparation both in reading and writing in advance of the book group session, allow for students to share their ideas during discussion and most importantly tie their theories back to the text. As discussion evolves, a strategy might be to look closely back at a section of text and read it expressively looking for clues about the topic, or building on each other's ideas until a full picture emerges of the ideas being discussed. At times, a strategy such as creating a chart listing how events might help or hinder a character on their quest proves to deepen thinking. The social discourse surrounding a book is bound to inspire thoughtful conversation and fuel critical thinking.