Sample Launch Focus Lesson 

Lesson Topic	You’ve GOT to Read This!
Materials	A book that you have read to the class for Read Aloud A Book Recommendation Form filled out for the Read Aloud book, enlarged Each student should come to the rug with a book that they have read previously. They should have finished the book already. A copy of the Book Recommendation Form for each student
Connection ​Set the tone. Link the new teaching to ongoing work and NAME THE TEACHING POINT. “Today I want to teach you…”	Readers, what a great start to the school year we have had! I love to look around the classroom and see readers engaged with their books, jotting their thinking down on Post-It notes, talking to each other about books, stopping to problem solve when the reading gets tough, I could just go on and on! You have all done such a good job at being independent and resourceful, and leaning on each other when you need to. I wanted to share with you today another way that readers can be a resource to each other. Today I want to teach you that readers can recommend books to other readers by giving a brief summary of the book, along with sharing their ideas about what made the book so worth reading.
Explicit Instruction Show them exactly how to do what is being taught.	People do this all the time, with books and lots of other things, like movies, TV shows, food, vacation spots, you name it! If you have an opinion about it, you can recommend it to someone else! Getting a book recommendation is a great way to find something new to read. It takes some of the legwork out of choosing a new book. And giving a book recommendation can be very rewarding, too! When you find a book you love, and someone else reads it, you have shared the joy! And, you’ll have someone to discuss the book with, too.   So how do you give a book recommendation? Let me tell you. There are two very important things to share. One, a brief summary of the book. Remember, you want to give the reader just enough information about the plot and some of the characters to get them interested, but not so much that you give it all away! Because then, what would be the point of reading it? The other important piece of information to give the reader is your opinion about the book, a little bit about why you liked it. Sell the book! Make them want to read it! How did it make you feel? How will it make them feel? What you thought of the book may be what gets other readers to dig in and try it themselves!   Since there are so many of us in this community, I thought it would be best to write out our book recommendations and keep them in a binder right in the classroom library. That way, any time someone is shopping for books, they can go to the binder to get recommendations, and not interrupt anyone’s reading. I have one of these forms already filled out, for one of the books that we have shared for read-aloud. Let’s look at it together. Show students an enlarged copy of the Book Recommendation Form that you have already filled out for one of the Read Aloud books. Walk through the summary and opinion portions, noting for students the qualities that make a good summary and opinion.
Guided Practice Ask them to try out what has been taught, either independently or collaboratively. Coach into the work.	Now you’re going to get a chance to try this out, with the books that you brought to the rug with you. Partner A, you will go first, giving a brief summary of the book. Partner B, your job is to stop Partner A if you think they are giving too much away. Otherwise, just listen in! Once Partner A finishes giving their summary, it will be Partner B’s turn to talk. And Partner B, you will give your opinion about the book you brought to the rug. Make sure you sell your book!   Get to it!
Send Off Transition students from the lesson to independent work.	Now you have yet another way to decide which book you want to read. And another way to share your thoughts about the books you love. I am going to leave this folder of Book Recommendation forms right over here in the library. Feel free to grab one and fill it out if you have a book that you think someone else just HAS to read. Be sure to put it in the binder in the library once you have filled it out.