Book Clubs Launch in Fourth Grade

Fourth grade readers are excited to launch book clubs. They are reading historical fiction books in clubs of four or five. Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper is the mentor text being read aloud to the classes. Teachers are using this book to discuss the elements of historical fiction and to model how to engage in discussion and how to utilize strategies that will be employed by the students during their own book club discussions.

Each book club has three tasks to complete during their first couple of sessions. The first task was to preview three or four books selected for their club and to choose the book they wanted to read first. Number the Stars, Stone Fox, Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World, Lily's Crossing, Esperanza Rising,  Snow Treasure and Al Capone Does My Shirts are some of the books chosen to be read in this first round. The second task  was to pick a name for their club. The Victorious Readers,  The Historical Readers and Book Eaters are examples of a few of the names chosen for these clubs. Creating a constitution for their club was the third task. This involved choosing strategies and rules that the club members agreed would help to make their discussions productive. Students then created a poster for their club.

Each session students decide how many pages they will read for the next session. They have a comprehension strategy chosen by the teacher to complete. During their club session they share their reflections and build their thinking about the book through deep discussion.