OverviewAs the first quarter of the school year approaches, I would like to share the Independent Reading unit that I have created for both myself and my students to work on throughout the semester. In the past, my students only had Independent Reading units last six to eight weeks. I believe in encouraging lifelong reading habits not temporary ones. Switching to a semester long unit has been an adjustment, but I believe it is for the best. The additional time has provided readers with an opportunity to explore different genres and titles rather than rushing through a book that they may not be interested in. Between Monday, September 14 and Friday, January 15, each student and myself is required to create a Reading Bingo! A Reading Bingo! is the same as a traditional bingo - five consecutive squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. The following board will be used: SpecificsStudents are provided time in class to read almost daily. Time amounts range from ten to fifty minutes. I also encourage my students to read at home for at least twenty minutes a day. A lot of them are beginning to realize that they need to be doing this to stay on top of the requirements for Reading Bingo! Once they begin to read at home, they realize how much fun reading is. If a parent/guardian had concerns about books that their child(ren) could and could not read, I asked that they communicate with me, so I could supervise accordingly. I do not place a tight filter on books students choose to read. The free square is allowed to be claimed after a student has read two consecutive squares prior to it and is not to be used as a “break” from reading and making progress on Reading Bingo! After claiming the free square, the student needs to pick another square to accomplish and find an appropriate book to fulfill the task. As known from traditional bingo rules, the free square does not need to be used to create a Reading Bingo! The free square cannot be used for extra credit. Extra credit can be earned with Reading Bingo! After a student has made a bingo, each category square that is completed afterwards will earn one point of extra credit. Each book review needs to earn at least a 70% to count for extra credit. For two book category squares, both reviews need to be at least a 70%. The extra credit point(s) will be added onto the overall grade of Reading Bingo! Book ReviewsIn order to hold students accountable and learn about new books, a review needs to be written about each book read. A book review requires:
Examples of potential final grade situations are below:
My high school students complete their reviews through a Google Form on their iPads (1:1) and my middle school students have packets to complete with plenty of writing space for the different requirements. Essential questions tie back to the theme of each course and have students practice the skills associated with finding, analyzing, and connecting textual evidence to larger questions and claims.
Rating SystemsIn order to provide each class (two sections of English 7, two sections of English 10, and one section of English 12) with a sense of ownership associated with Reading Bingo!, we spent a few days brainstorming, sharing, and collaborating their thoughts on rating systems. Each class walked away with their own rating system that they agreed upon. After rationale and symbols were agreed upon, I finalized their rating systems in Piktochart. The reviews are beginning to trickle in, and I am nearing the end of my first book. Stay tuned for further reflection, book reviews, and updates to next semester's Reading Bingo!
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The Avalanche of Books
As an educator and avid reader, I am constantly hearing about books. I feel like I am being chased by a giant, rolling avalanche of titles and authors. Rating System
5 books - New fave! Read it now!
4 books - Shelf worthy 3 books - Quality read, but ... 2 books - Borrow it 1 book - Skip it Archives
December 2017
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