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Focus Reading Activities

 

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HMS FOCUS Literacy Enrichment

Lexile Level Chart

 

  
A. Formats

1. SSR- each student and teacher reads their own book
             Jim Trelease writes about Sustained Silent Reading


2. Read aloud- short stories, nonfiction articles, poetry, and the rest of the story, myths, folktales, sections of a novel

http://www.keenreaders.org/26-tips-for-reading-aloud


3. Whole class reads the same book and talks about it

4. Book clubs- Three or four small groups reading different books based on interest, genre or related to a theme. Teacher would join one of the literature circles.   If the novel choices are teacher selected, please check the approved literature list, and you might want to consider sending home brief summaries to include parents in the selection process.
For more information about literature circles and book clubs:

http://iws.punahou.edu/user/bschauble/sophs/litcirc.html

http://www.ehow.com/info_12035823_book-club-activities-middle-grade-students.html


5.  Partner read- two students read the same book and share ideas about the book. Could dress as twins on the day they share the book with the group.

B. Supplemental Activities
          
1. Everyone should make a space in the classroom  for:

Quote wall              “Tweets”  on sticky notes          Book recommendations


2. Write a review for the online catalog

3. Student recommendations- see this link

4. Sign on teacher’s door- “What I’m reading now is ______________”

5. Mini book talks by students and teacher

6. Stop and share something interesting about the book with a partner

7. Video a student book commercial- give to media specialist to broadcast

8. Wordle- without book title- students have to guess the book from the Wordle
          http://www.wordle.net/

9. Students create book  posters

10. Genre cart: select a cart full of books from a particular genre to share with the group. This is particularly useful when students are reluctant to explore a genre like poetry or non-fiction.


C. Media Services   

1. Hudson Middle School Book TV- one of our closed circuit channels with student book
   commercials and PowerPoint with book tweets

2. Biweekly visits to the HMS media center for book check-out: half of the school’s communities
   will visit during M,W,F weeks and, half during T,TH,F weeks. Teams will create the rotation for
   visits during team meetings.

3. Teachers may sign up to bring their classes to book talks in the HMS media center during  
    FOCUS time. A schedule will be available.

4. Write a review in the online catalog- video demonstrating how to write a review.

5. Video demonstrating how to download an eBook from the online catalog.

6. Class sets of books are available in boxes in media center for sign-out. - List

Please consult the literature list if you will be selecting a book for the whole class to read and/or if you are selecting novels for book clubs.  Teacher-selected reading materials should be on the list. If the book is not on the approved literature list, complete and submit a literature list addition form in advance.  To speed up the approval process, send of copy of the book w/ the form to the curriculum office.  Please remember that books on the approved list might deal with controversial or sensitive topics.  Allow yourself enough time to read the book(s) before you share them with students.  

www.hudson.edu/root/files/246/Additions_to_Lang_Arts_Materials_List.pdf


D. General Web Resources

1. Reading surveys from The Book Whisperer and to
    read more from Donalyn Miller, take a look at her blog:
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/

2. Realistic Ideas to get Teens Reading
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/realistic-ideas-get-teens-reading

3. Book discussion questions
http://blogs.wilps.wlwv.k12.or.us/library/?page_id=803

http://www.multcolib.org/talk/universalquestions.html

http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2007/12/17/websites-with-book-discussion-questions-for-kids-books/