Celebrating the Book Nerd in everyone

I started off the school year with a lot of enthusiasm for reading in my classroom and I loved every minute of it. However, like it happens so often, once the year started up it was hard to keep daily discussions about reading as a part of our lessons because, as you all know, it is so hard to find time for everything! I know that I didn't want to give up the focus on reading but I just didn't have the time. It's every teacher's continuous battle, right?

"If you don't like to read, you haven't found the right book" --J.K. Rowling 

My solution: Book Nerd Day!!
As a solution, I planned for one day out of every month that would focus completely on reading. The name, "Book Nerd Day," just made it more fun of course!  The plan was this: create structured activities that focus on reading and allow student choice in what they accomplish. I also attached an expected point value to keep students on task and directed. This allows students to respond to reading with differentiated tasks where they feel comfortable showing mastery. It's a win-win situation.

The Set Up
The night before our first Book Nerd Day, I rearranged the seats and set up stations around the room so that students would have all materials needed and could move from one location to another to complete activities around the room. Each station had directions and materials laid out.

The Choice Board

Poetry and illustrations
about books

In creating my choice board, I consulted ideas found online and put them all together. As students worked through and completed them, I kept track of which were most popular so I can adjust for our next Book Nerd Day (Coming soon on December 19!!) Students loved the poetry and letters to authors the most of everything. Here's a link to the first draft of my choice board.  The link also includes the titles and directions for each station. I printed them and put them up at each station (as pictured above).

Letters to authors

The Results
During the day's activities, I was able to check in with many of my students about what they are reading. Also, I heard so many students sharing what they have read with other students...with ENTHUSIASM!!! Their work showed so much about their comprehension and how much they liked or didn't like their books. Then, because I teach Middle School and they're all about the social media, I posted student work and tagged the authors of the books. The students loved hearing responses to what they are writing and this validated their own work by putting it out there into the world.

Pam Munoz Ryan??
Unbelievable!!

Our Next Book Nerd Day
The second Book Nerd Day is scheduled for December 19 and the students can not wait for it! Because of what I noticed with some students and where we are in the semester, our second one has some stipulations that the first did not. Everyone participated in the first Book Nerd Day. Students who are behind with their work or have not been on task for the week will be sent to another classroom to complete classwork needed. I won't do this every time, but for this time in this month it works out perfectly.

Comment below with your questions, comments, or thoughts!



Keep the magic alive,
Kandyce Valverde