Howdy!
I am sure you have heard of a book talk, right?
One reader talks about a book with the intent of convincing the other reader to read the book. The booktalker gives the other reader a sneak peek into the characters, setting , and plot line of the text without giving away the ending. The listener can be left with a cliffhanger and wants to do nothing but read the book after the talk!
Book talks can take anywhere from one to five minutes depending on the speaker.
Have you heard of the 6 word book talk? This is where the reader creates a book talk by only using six words!
@TechNinjaTodd (Todd Nesloney) and @brandonkblom (Brandon Blom) introduced the idea to a crowd full of educators at the Scholastic Reading Summit.
I would encourage you to give it a try, first with your favorite summer read, and then in your classroom. Let’s have a little fun with this!
Comment below in a six word book talk your favorite summer read. We will reply by guessing the title! An example of a six word book talk for Wonder might be: different looking boy overcomes some adversity
If you are using book talks (any kind, short or long!) in your classroom, a great way to extend the conversation around books is to display a “Book Pick of the Week” in your classroom library.
This can be a book that has been previously talked about for students to read.
We can display this book on a special place in our classroom library for students to check out and read on their own. A simple poster like the one below could be placed behind the book so that once a student finishes the book, they return the Book Pick of the Week for others to read. Or a picture of the book could be inserted into the template and the book pick can be easily changed every week!
Eventually as student become more familiar with book talks, they can share their own book talk with the class. As we create a culture for reading through consistent daily book talks, students can nominate books for the Book Pick of the Week.
Creating a space for students to have a voice and share their opinion about books is essential in developing a love for reading. One easy yet powerful way to give students a platform or sharing their ideas about books is to allow them to nominate the book for that week! Afterall, isn’t that our goal as reading teachers? To allow our readers to think for themselves? I’d say so!
Don’t forget to comment with your six word book talk! Click HERE to get your FREE Book Pick of the Week Template!
Happy reading!
