Thanks to all who responded. I will gladly accept other ideas and post
another HIT if justified. I am still looking for more activites which
take 20-40 minutes and would love something different to try several
times a month all year long.
Here is the HIT:
------------------------------------------
One of my favorite things to promote pleasure reading is to have a book
pass. I used our state award books the last time, and plan to do it
again soon with our 6th graders.
Put 7-10 books on each table of four students. The books should
represent a variety of genres and interests (unless you are promoting
mysteries, for example) Give them a brief time for each to select a
book, then have them read silently for 3 minutes. Then each student
speaks for one minute on the book they read, and they select another
book. Repeat 2-3 more times. At the end, let each student select one
of the books for checkout. Many of them have a hard time narrowing it
to one book.
This was one of the best promotions I did for the state award books.
Students enjoy hearing recommendations from other students, even if
after a brief reading.
-------------------------------------
Get as many books as there are kids in the class and a stopwatch.
Pass out a preprinted list of the titles you will be using, in alpha
order, with a 1, 2, or 3 next to each title.
A legend at the top should say:
1=Sounds great, I want to read it.
2=it seems ok, but I'm not sold yet
3=not interested at all.
EX:
Among the Hidden 1 2 3 (circle one)
Cirque du Freak 1 2 3
Eragon 1 2 3
Instruct the kids: The papers before you are ratings sheets for each
book I'll be passing out. You are to read each book until I say stop.
Find the title on the sheet and rate it, then pass it to someone nearby
you. Then pick up the new book and read it until I say stop. Rate it,
and repeat the drill until time is up.
Then, using these sheets as a base, tell each kid he has to choose a
number 1, a number 2, and a number 3 to read, writing short entries in
a reading journal on whether the book proved to live up to their hopes
or was a disappointment or a pleasant surprise.
I used to do this as a first day drill with my classroom library when
I
taught 7th & 8th grade English. The Reading journal was 20% of their
grade.
------------------------------------
I have an activity I originally heard from Peggy Sharp, but tweaked a
little. I put a varied selection of 15 books on the table. The
students
need a piece of paper and pen or pencil. I have them take *any* book
from the pile and write down the title. Then they read the book for 2
minutes (I have a timer); I then ask them to decide how they feel
about the book based on what they read and they are to draw a face that
matches that feeing. (I've attached the PowerPoint page with the chart I
use.) I stress to them that there's no wrong answer; this is their
opinion and opinions can't be "wrong." Then they take another book and
repeat the process, usually 10 times total.
--------------------------------
This is expanding a ibt on the reading/writing idea.
I am taking an idea which I found on teachers.net that was posted by
Ruthann Funderburk and adapting it.
I will divide students in to two teams to alternate answering. I have
created a PowerPoint with each slide being either a sentence, a
fragment, or a run-on sentence. As each slide is shown, the appropriate
student will have to identify which of those 3 things fits the words on
the slide. For bonus point, they have a chance to give punctuation
and/or correct it to full sentence(s).
----------------------------------
Ann Jantzen, Media Specialist
South Central Jr. Sr. H.S.
6675 E. Highway 11 SE
Elizabeth, IN 47117
jantzena@south.shcsc.k12.in.us
"I cannot live without books." -- Thomas Jefferson
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