using book clubs to engage readers and writers

Wendy Bean and Jan Turbill 2013

USING BOOK CLUBS TO ENGAGE READERS AND WRITERS

Jan TurbillWendy BeanUniversity of Wollongong, Australia


READING-WRITING CONNECTIONS

What were our beliefs in starting these projects? What was the research that underpinned our thinking?

We can read without ever having written but we cannot write without having read (Butler & Turbill 1984)

Reading - writing connections (Elbow 2004)

Children must read like a writer, in order to learn to write like

a writer (Smith 2003)

Every writer is a reader. … To teach writing we must

teach reading. (Donald Murray 1984. 2004)

Text is a two sided mirror …with readers and writers … gazing upon the reflections of their own minds (Frank Smith, 1982)


And so we introduced Book Club

• Wendy worked with a suburban school 90mins south of Sydney

• Windang Public School is considered below average on the Social Education Advantage Index

• Windang receives additional government funding for Literacy and Numeracy

• Jan worked with a school in farming area 2 hours south of Sydney

• Berry Public School is considered to be above average on the Social Education Advantage Index

• Berry receives no additional funding


Different schools – different needs

Windang Book Club’s focus was to engage children in:

• reading for enjoyment• reading a wide range

of authors• reflecting and

discussing books• improving reading and

writing skills

Berry Book Club’s focus was to engage prolific readers in:

• reading, reflecting and critiquing books

• exploring the writing devices of the authors they read

• reading like writers and thus improve their writing

Book Clubs: Reading for enjoyment


Book Clubs• Status: application to

join

• Lunchtime every 2 weeks in library

• Quality texts

• Special guests


Book Club activities

• Author visit 2011 (Sandy Fussell)

• Boys Only Club Terms 3 and 4 2012

• Year 6 runs own Book Circle with Year 2 in 2012 (own initiative)


Writing connections in Book Circle

edmodowww.edmodo.com• Secure• A place to ‘talk’ about books between Book

Club meetings run fortnightly• A place to publish newsletters and author

websites

http://www.edmodo.com/


Book Club Reading Journals

Students all have a reading journal. Here they record:

• Books read• Books recommended• Notes or ideas while reading

And we loved collecting ‘delicious words’


Book Club Evaluation

• Next slide


Other events and outcomes

• Increase in reading for enjoyment (Premier’s reading challenge 85% participation

2012)• Purchase of quality literature and texts for the

library• Kindergarten orientation: two picture books in

welcome pack• Parent workshops on reading• More involvement in literacy national events


• Class libraries: regularly changed and more book promotion by teachers

• Book recommendations by children for children

• Individual book boxes for students• Mystery readers (prize a book trailer and

popcorn)


In summary

• We had enormous fun• The children thought they were very special

and were proud of their participation• Parents were thrilled

• AND reading was in the spotlight!


Berry Book ClubHow do we teach children to get

inside the author’s head?Peter Burney – Principal

Sue McAuliffe – Year 5/6 TeacherDi Hill - Librarian

Setting up Book Club at Berry Public School in 2011

• Purpose was to acknowledge and encourage avid readers and to get them thinking about author’s craft

• Year 5 students were invited to participate in pilot of Book Club and become leaders for others

• Eight students chosen from applications after negotiation with teachers

• Book Club held during lunch periodWendy Bean and Jan Turbill 2013


Book Marks


Author’s role in children’s writing


Our Writing Day- late Term 4• Book Club members had a Writing Day with Jan using White Crane

by Sandy Fussell as a ‘mentor’. All had read the book.• Children reread Ch1. and asked to consider how Sandy introduced

characters, plot and setting.• Using a mind map, brainstormed in 2 groups what Sandy needed to

know to write the first chapter. • Each child brainstormed in her journal things she knew ‘a lot about’.• Shared their list then chose one and brainstormed words, phrases

about that ‘one thing’.• Shared the ‘story’ that could now be written.• Asked to write without stopping for 3 minutes on that one thing –

activity became known as POWER Writing.


• Each girl shared this first draft. • Author Sandy agreed to share via Skype on IWB

after lunch. BIG excitement!• Girls asked questions of Sandy, then read the

beginnings of their story. • Sandy listened and responded to each one.• Girls rapt!!! And wrote all afternoon. • Drafting continued in class with teacher and finally

edited pieces were emailed to Sandy who had agreed to read and respond.

• We will hear from the girls what they learned from this interaction with an author, a fellow writer, a teacher.


Jackie French’s


Collaborative roles of teacher and author in the teaching of writing


Jackie Frenchhttp://www.jackiefrench.com/index.html


Contact us - Wendy Bean -

www.effectiveschools.com.au

Jan Turbill – [email protected]

http://www.effectiveschools.com.au/

mailto:[email protected]

using book clubs to engage readers and writers

Documents

book club meetings

book clubwendy

butler turbill

reading habits

australiawendy bean

initiativewendy bean

writingwendy bean

book circle edmodowww