Better Book Clubs

Book excerpt: In her comprehensive guide, Better Book Clubs: Deepening Comprehension and Elevating Conversation, literacy coach and staff developer Sara Kugler shows you how to combine the power of book clubs with assessment-driven instruction to support your students as they talk and think about texts together. Using authentic book club conversations as an assessment of academic talk and text understanding, Kugler raises the bar on typical professional discussions about book clubs, moving beyond teacher-directed interactions and surface-level conversations to include: Structures, teaching methods, and routines that support authenticity and independence in book clubs Suggestions for starting, scaffolding, and sustaining effective, student-centered book clubs Tips for listening in on clubs as a way to assess academic talk and text understanding Methods for moving from observation into instruction that improves conversation and comprehension Touchstone anchor charts and sample lessons for launching and maintaining strong clubs at a variety of independence levels With a dual focus on stronger comprehension and improved conversations, Better Book Clubs will help you establish effective book clubs that will engage your readers, enhance your learning communities, and become an indispensable component of your literacy classroom.