Here are a few tips and tricks to help out with book reports. Feel free to utilize them for the book reports this trimester as well as future book reports.
*Encourage your child to select a book at his/her “good fit” level. We practice this in class daily as we choose books. It is important that the book selected is a book that your child is interested in reading and that they can read! There are many selections in our school library, our classroom, and Mrs. Latta’s reading room. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us—we’re here to help this be a positive experience for you and your child!
*Work on reading strategies while reading. Students know how to Check for Understanding, Make Predictions, Cross-Check, Visualize, and Back Up and Re-read. Look over the report form before reading the book to gauge what information is needed. As your child reads, he/she can use a small sticky note to place in the book to “mark” the information needed for the report. We practice this in class and your child knows how to do this, so encourage them to do so!
*Use as much space as you need to write the plot summary. A good “rule of thumb” is to retell the story/text in order—beginning, middle, and end. In class, we practice 3 sentences for the beginning, 3 sentences for the middle, and 3 sentences for the end. You can even encourage your child to use the following phrases: In the beginning, Next, Then, After that, In the end…
If you need more space on the actual form, you are welcome to continue writing on a lined piece of paper (such as notebook paper) or the back of the page.
*Seek help from your child’s teacher if book reports are a struggle at home. I don’t want them to be stressful! We provide one book report per trimester so that your child can pace it out. Use nightly reading/homework time to read the book for book report.
*If you need any of these materials (lined paper, sticky notes, books), email Mrs. Martin.