Forever in the Middle: Book Talks Using Flipgrid

Book Talks Using Flipgrid 

We started off the school year with great enthusiasm and momentum for reading in class and I’m happy to say that hasn’t fizzled out. I thought, “this is great!  These kids can talk about books! What an amazing group!” Then I set them up and showed them how to use Flipgrid and guess what I found out: They did NOT know how to share their books. I had all kinds of things going on that I didn’t expect. Some were talking into the camera but blocking their faces, some were giving away major plot points, others were just generally unsure of what they were supposed to be doing. Oops! Then I realized that of course, like many new things we do in the classroom, this too would need to be explicitly taught then practiced before they would perform at any level of proficiency. .

That is exactly what I did and look at the results!

Here are the steps I took:

1. Students were given enough time to finish a book so they would have something to share (about 5 weeks)
2. Partners practiced sharing their books using book talk frames.
3.  Students practiced the same book talk with a new partner.
4.  They practiced making a Flipgrid video.
5. They completed and submitted their book talk flip grid.

Is every book talk video perfect? Of course not! As with anything, some kids were amazing right away and some need more practice but I know they will get there and I’m excited to see their growth as the year goes on.

The students whose videos are amazing get the added incentive of getting a QR code for their Flipgrid taped onto the cover of the books in my classroom library so now interested students can see what they’re about. This gets the conversation about reading going and the buzz about books stays constant. It’s a win for me and a win for the featured kids because now they have celebrity status in my classroom.


Why is this important for instruction?
Aside from promoting reading and all the benefits of it, students are getting great practice presenting information to an audience in a low stakes environment. In addition, they are able to receive feedback and also become a reference for other students who may be interested in reading. Once the routine is learned, the kids will be faster at creating these (which save instructional minutes) and it can become an expectation for demonstrating comprehension of a text (digital reading log?)

This gives kids a feeling of importance and value that some don’t normally find in Language Arts because Language Arts can be really hard for some kids. Maybe this is the way the kids who aren’t natural writers can shine.

Stay with us as we continue on our journey and find out where it takes us.

You heard from me so let’s hear from you: leave a comment below to let me know what you’ve done in your classroom to encourage a love for reading. I can’t wait to hear your amazing ideas!

Keep the magic alive,

Kandyce Valverde
See what is going on in my classroom on Twitter @valverderules

Do you want to see this first hand? Come visit my classroom by scheduling a Spotlight visit!