by Kelley Gangi, Program Director, and Stephanie Maze-Hsu, Senior Staff Developer
The “just-right book” (JRB) can be elusive for some students, particularly at the upper elementary and middle school grades. Investing time during your launch of Readers’ Workshop will ensure students are equipped with strategies for selecting well-matched texts. Keep four key goals in mind as you kick-off a year of just-right reading in upper elementary and middle school grades:
- Pique interest through book recommendations!
- Make your walls talk about JRBs!
- Even older students need modeling!
- Confer to diagnose mismatched texts and redirect reluctant, wayward, or lackadaisical readers!
At Williams Middle School in Longmeadow, MA, English teacher Anita Kimball provides explicit guidance through modeling and anchor charts to help students identify just-right texts. In addition, Anita helps students expand reading diets by encouraging book recommendations. Two forms of book recommendation currently help students think about what to read next: student-to-student recommendations and teacher-to-student recommendations.
Student to student book recommendations in Anita’s class encourage classmates to propose intriguing titles to one another after reading. Students label a book they’ve read with the name of another student they think may also enjoy the author, genre, or topic. You can preface book recommendation experiences by helping students to get to know their reading “personas” during launch. Crafting and posting a reading profile around the room can help students publicize genres they love, those they would like to get to know better, those they wonder about but haven’t tried, and those they avoid at all costs! Students can reference these reading profiles as they propose recommendations to peers. This personalization of reading suggestions generates relevance and buzz around the room.
Similarly, teacher-to-student recommendations in Anita’s classroom provide generic suggestions to students. Williams teachers propose great recent reads by affixing a sticky note bearing their name on a prominent display in Anita’s room. Students scoop up these titles offered by their school mentors while also coming to understand that adult readers have distinct reading personas, treasure beloved authors, and experiment across genres.
At Epping Elementary School, in Epping, NH, grade four teacher Samantha Gesels encourages students to think beyond the “five finger rule” for JRB selection with a colorful anchor chart displayed in her room. The prominent words in each thought bubble represent big concepts important in text selection. The brown bullets under each big concept represent key points she models and discusses over several mini lessons. Samantha continues to add to this chart as children make discoveries for themselves about effective JRB choices.
Keep in mind, older students still need modeling, particularly as you help them refine their methods of JRB selection. Consider explicit mini lesson modeling that builds upon lower elementary launch lessons and takes JRB thinking to the next level. For example, model and think aloud about the following strategies for your middle school or upper elementary students:
Despite your modeling, anchor charts, and creative book-sharing strategies, some students may persist in making less than ideal book choices. Confer with students who appear to be fake reading, word calling, off-task, or disengaged to determine whether JRB selection may be an area of need. Through your conferring, research the appropriateness of book selection by the student and the application of the student’s JRB strategies. Decide on a strategy that might improve text selection for the student, and provide explicit modeling. Offer clear guidance on how to apply this new learning. For example, say to the student, “Now, I want you to try this strategy at the classroom library by______. I’ll check back with you tomorrow to see what text(s) you’ve selected using this strategy.” Remind the student to reference the other helpful structures you’ve established around the room like anchor charts, book recommendation repositories, and treasured corners of your class library. Experiment with creative solutions for JRB such as these Gardner Middle School “banned book” boxes where you might tempt readers with enticing titles like Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, a graphic novel about the Holocaust or The Giver.
- Choose texts purposefully
- Examine covers, read blurbs, and think about your reading passions as you peruse
- Analyze your reading stats by tracking genres, authors, and topics you read to identify patterns and holes
- Talk about a book you love without spoilers!
- Compare the pros, cons, ins, and outs of a good read to hook other readers (e.g. If you like_____, you might like_____ because______)
Despite your modeling, anchor charts, and creative book-sharing strategies, some students may persist in making less than ideal book choices. Confer with students who appear to be fake reading, word calling, off-task, or disengaged to determine whether JRB selection may be an area of need. Through your conferring, research the appropriateness of book selection by the student and the application of the student’s JRB strategies. Decide on a strategy that might improve text selection for the student, and provide explicit modeling. Offer clear guidance on how to apply this new learning. For example, say to the student, “Now, I want you to try this strategy at the classroom library by______. I’ll check back with you tomorrow to see what text(s) you’ve selected using this strategy.” Remind the student to reference the other helpful structures you’ve established around the room like anchor charts, book recommendation repositories, and treasured corners of your class library. Experiment with creative solutions for JRB such as these Gardner Middle School “banned book” boxes where you might tempt readers with enticing titles like Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, a graphic novel about the Holocaust or The Giver.
Share your anchor charts, library collections, or strategies for supporting JRBs in your upper elementary or middle school classroom!
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