Tips for leading a book club discussion

Two mini book clubs meeting at the same time might make people happy. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussioneverything from book discussion questions, prompts, games, handouts, even index cards. How to start a book discussion group get together a core group it is much easier to start a book club with two or three people who already have some connection. Its your turn to moderate lead your book clubs discussion.

How to lead a book club discussion 7 great discussion tips. Need to lead your book club and want tips on how to promote a lively conversation. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. A good bookdiscussion book often stays in the readers mind long after the book is finished and the discussion is over. Explains how to get a group started, determine its ideal size, weigh the pros and cons of having a leader, understand the effects of various leadership styles, develop a book list that will appeal to. Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. This can be something like vowing to read new authors or explore a new genre. Nycs district 75 published their middle school units of study, developing autonomy when engaging with literature, online. Tips for running a successful, sustainable book club. Ask around the office, playgroups, your church, or civic organizations. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. Whether youre considering a classroom book club for the first time, or are already guiding your students through their third book this year, heres a list of benefits and some tips for success you can employ right away.

Its your turn to moderatelead your book clubs discussion. One of the best pairings with our wine is a good book club. Chandler has been a member of a bunch of them and has some tips for you and your book club. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. You dont have to be in an english class to analyze books as a group. Here are 10 actionable tips to ensure your book club runs smoothly. Your list of choices may feel like its neverending because there are over a million different books to choose fromliterally. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group.

They offer opportunity for intelligent conversation and lead to deeper understanding of an authors work. Decide on the number of studentled book discussions you will have each week. This helpful guide provides stimulating reading lists and practical tips for organizing and leading your own successful bookdiscussion group. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. There are lots of book club ideas and resources that can make the whole process less painful in fact, you can actually come to enjoy taking the lead. Have each member of the group make a yearlong reading resolution. Invite an outside facilitator english teacher or librarian. The first article in this series explained how to plan a group discussion in this article, we describe best practices when leading a group discussion theres much more involved than simply getting people in a room, waving a magic wand, and declaring discuss now. As you read each novel, jot down page numbers and passages that moved you and where you found answers to the discussion questions. Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this year will be my third year leading our small but dedicated book discussion group. Theres nothing like sipping chardonnay, enjoying small bites and discussing the summers hot read. Tips for leading a book club discussion reading groups. Keep the discussion focused, starting with some general reflections on how people found the book or film or whatever you are discussing, moving on to explore the ideas within it in some detail, and not forgetting to reflect on how it relate to a christian worldview.

In a traditional book club, you probably wouldnt get together to read the book, just to discuss it. Meeting and webinar best practices and resources follow. Tips for leading a discussion rutgers universitycamden. How to conduct a great book club discussion youtube. If your library doesnt offer a regular reading group at your library now is the time to start. Spend a few minutes looking at some of these suggestions. That way, you can easily share them with the group later on. These 7 suggestions can help you become an excellent discussion leader and even enjoy the process. Your pantry is stocked with snacks for the big night, the wine has chilled, and the house is tidied. These steps advise you on every aspect of leading a good discussion, from keeping everyone engaged, to managing strong personalities, to wrapping up the discussion. Is the group on a roll and ready to tackle that long thick book youve been talking about for months. This stepbystep guide will help you start a book club that can last for years. Here are some tips and insights about what has worked well for me.

In fact, differing opinions make the best discussions. Leading a good discussion is not as easy as it looks. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. These books can be read more than once, and each time the reader learns something new. This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. There are lots of book clubs out there now, and theres more than one way to run a successful one. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. Tips for students leading a journal club discussion. We have prepared a list of tips to help you choose a book. But if you know youre going to be isolated from your fellow human beings for a while, consider.

Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and. Get together a core group it is much easier to start a book club with two or three people who already have some connection. Gather a group of friends, choose a book and start reading. Keep reading to find out how to create your own classroom book club, which questions to. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most rewarding experience out of your club meeting. So if you find yourself needing to lead a class in college or high school, or if you are simply interested in alternative ways of learning, practice these skills and make them your own.

Youre loving your new book club and cant wait for the upcoming discussion on the book youve chosen. Prompts, icebreakers, handouts and basic web research make leading book discussions easy and. A book club can work well in a variety of settings. Ive only had experience with mine, so ill share how ours is organized and why i believe weve had such endurance. Some clubs have one member who enjoys leading all discussions. Keep the mood of the club in mind when selecting the book. Brainstorm ideas that spring from your interests in the book and ask fellow club members to send their questions to you before the meeting. Choose a book that is long enough to encourage a good discussion, but short. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. You can have a good book club discussion about a bad book, but its always more fun when members connect to the material and in these times, who wants to invest energy in a book that. Peruse them for ideas of what you can do each month to liven up your meetings. Often youll at least recruit some help in completing the rest of the steps. How to lead a book club discussion pen and the pad.

Consider the consequences of being unprepared for a book discussion. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center for. Meeting and webinar best practices and resources zoom. Take notes or mark passages that strike youpassages you find significant, funny, or insightful. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most. Book group howtos from the seattle public library guide to leading, coming up with good discussion questions, drawing conclusions and more. Or, is the team struggling with the last few books youve read. An 11yearold boy named michael boards a ship crossing the indian ocean and the suez canal. Rutgers universitycamden enrollment management book club. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. The first step is to assign a point person who will ensure that the book club happens every monthand that it goes off without a hitch. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa.

How to lead a successful book club discussion bookbrowse. Tell students the reading and writing choices they will have after they complete a discussion and journal work. How to create your classroom book club everyday esl. The following represent monthly tips that we have shared with book groups over the years. If you are in a book club and have some ideas to share, id love to hear from. Arrive at 7pm meet, chat, eat if food is on offer and discuss any book club issues such as what to read next. Use our ideas to help you organize your book club activities, hold good discussions, and settle tough issues. Sometimes you might find enough people to start a book club right away. Leading a book club discussion can be a source of dread. Having discussion questions before your book club meets will help facilitate a good discussion of your book. It requires quite a bit of planning and an understanding of group dynamics.

How to lead a book club discussion book club questions. There is never any one way to experience or interpret a book. Leading a book discussion doesnt have to feel like a root canal. Not everyone can finish every book, but nonreaders may still have valuable insights.

In my class, unprepared students read the pages in class before joining their group. The book club gives employees the opportunity to step up and practice leadership roles such as leading a group discussion or presenting to provide an overview of a chapter. Sounds like life of pi, but in this tall tale form the seas, parts of the story are retold in his adult. Appoint a club memberwhoever selected the book or the person who is hosting.