Malia Russell
The
Organized
Homeschooler
Hosting a
Book Club
Intrigued by the idea of having a book club for your local readers?
When we suddenly started homeschooling in 2000, one of my main con- cerns was my daughter’s
need to have friends. She had been in a
school from age 3 through fifth grade. I
knew the transition to school at home
might be hard on my social butterfly. For
this reason, I decided to start a book club
here in our home.
The first year was wonderfully successful, so we have continued to have book
clubs over the years, depending on my
children’s ages and stages.
Intrigued by the idea of having a book
club for your local readers? It really is a
very simple undertaking.
Our book club covers a small range
of ages. I usually pick my oldest daughter’s age, plus and minus one year. Then I
choose books that fit that age range. Girls
outside that age range (higher and lower)
often participate, but I select books that
are appropriate for my daughter’s age
group. Girls who find the book too difficult are allowed to have their parents
or older sibling read it to them, or they
can listen to it on CD or tape. We mainly
want to encourage a love for literature, as
well as develop interpersonal skills in a
safe environment.
Each month a new book is assigned.
The girls are to read the book at home
and then prepare a related project of
their choice. They can:
•;Illustrate;a;scene
•;Dress;as;a;character
•;Write;a;poem
•;Write;a;book;report
•;Share;an;alternate;ending
•;Make;and;share;a;recipe;that;was
inspired by the book
•;Create;a;diorama
•;Dramatize;a;scene;from;the;book
•;Any;other;project;agreeable;to;their
parents
During book club, we start by prac-
ticing everyone’s name. I really want
these girls to get to know each another,
so knowing each other’s names is an im-
portant first step. We will go around and
have the girls take turns naming every-
one else, and we cheer when folks get it
right. We may do a few icebreaker activi-
ties, but they do not have to be terribly
complicated. Icebreakers are merely tools
to help get everyone in the group talking.
Finally, we discuss the upcoming book,
and if any of the girls brought snacks as
their projects, we enjoy those together at
that time.
