For one wonderful hour, me and my twenty-five (ish) readers trek to the library, sprawl out with pillows and enjoy reading. They've also been working on writing questions about the books, so they break off into small groups and hold their own literature circles.
She made her own questions for the group!
I love that they knew to go back to the text to find answers!
I also made question stems for them to use to guide their discussions, which you can snag here. Per Battle of the Books norms, I'm not supposed to guide their comprehension of the novels, only encourage them to read and provide strategies.
It's so rewarding to get to spend an hour with my fifth grade book worms. I love that they're so into reading!
I'm also really appreciative that one of my students encouraged his cousin to join, even though reading is difficult for him. They're reading the same book and helping each other out, which is great to see.
Today my principal popped in and read with some students:
It totally made their day! I'm thankful she's supportive of this endeavor and I know she loves talking about reading with students.
With about two months until their competition, they are going strong! Many are finishing up their first book and beginning their second. They have also taken our persuasive writing unit to heart and are encouraging one another to read certain books next, which is adorable. All the books are wonderful and I love how they're supporting one another.
Happy reading!
