However, starting with a few knowledgetype questions is an excellent way to get students warmedup. Each member or a team of 2 or 3 takes a card and answers the question. You may have to lead a discussion as part of a school assignment or you may be responsible for leading a. Even if your members are used to being part of group discussions and. If your library doesnt offer a regular reading group at. They are a means for students to learn and practice skills, generate ideas, solve problems, consolidate knowledge, criticize arguments, develop insight, and gain confidence in handling new concepts. If there are parts of the book that made an impact on you or that you think may come up in the discussion, write down the page numbers so that you can access the passages easily while preparing and leading your book club discussion. Why you would want to study in a group, how to start a group, and how to decide what to study. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Some groups might have a consistent moderator for example if your group is run by the local library, a librarian will probably lead the meetings. Tidelands by philippa gregory book club discussion.
Leading an effective group discussion takes preparation if you have the opportunity for it, an understanding of and commitment to an open process, and a willingness to let go of your ego and biases. Explains how to get a group started, determine its ideal size, weigh the pros and cons of having a leader, understand the effects of various leadership styles, develop a book list that will appeal to. Sep 05, 2016 having great book discussion questions is essential to leading a successful book club, and now that i run an online moms book club i use this lesson to avoid awkward silences yes they can happen online and create a lively, engaging book club meeting each month. Stay in the loop with reading group choices, get notified about the release of our print editions, and receive handy materials from our publishing partners. Leading group discussions is a huge part of leadership. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. The authors also describe how to prepare to lead the bible study and then the actual leading of the discussion. Your group probably has a fixed day and time to meet but the location might change. Tell students the reading and writing choices they will have after they complete a discussion and journal work. Home table of contents leadership and management chapter 16. Another approach is to break down the group into still smaller task groups. When jazz musician pat metheny gave the keynote address at the 2001 international association of jazz educators conference, he said, one of the great beauties of jazz is its almost unlimited capacity to allow human beings to find out things about themselves and the culture that they live in, through the process of reconciling their own personal experiences with. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. How to lead a successful book club discussion bookbrowse.
While i enjoy almost all of our choices, they are not necessarily what i would choose if i had only myself to please. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. We meet in a private facebook group and chat about a new book every month. The role of a moderator will vary from group to group. Its your turn to moderatelead your book clubs discussion. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center for.
Finding middle ground will lead to better outcomes and more engagement from your team. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions that will. Very few of us feel like well have all the right answers, or that we can handle whatever curve balls will be thrown our way and there will be some. Integrate the results of group work into the closing discussion or lecture, and refer back to these ideas, when relevant, in subsequent class sessions. You dont have to be in an english class to analyze books as a group. Even with a fixed day, a reminder a few days ahead can be useful, and knowing where the meeting is to be is very useful. Being the leader of the book discussion group often requires me to spend several evenings and weekend days a month to reading the book outside of work, since i cannot read during work hours. Tips on facilitating effective group discussions sheridan.
Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. Having great book discussion questions is essential to leading a successful book club. Helen exley alice moody and ann walters are book group facilitators with extensive experience leading book discussions at independent bookstores, community centers, and private homes and venues. Analysis, synthesis, and evaluation questions generally lend themselves to more indepth discussion of the topic. They dont help move discussions forward and can put others on the defensive. Use our litlovers resources below to help you with specific questions. The inside group discussed live as i monitored for a grade, the 2 groups on the outside held a conversation online about the same question. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center. A way to approach nonparticipants is to provide opportunities for smaller group discussions or pairshare discussions. Check out my online book club and other awesome learning opportunities for you at. The authors also describe how to prepare to lead the bible study and then the actual leading of. We believe in the power of books to build connections and broaden. Effective questions for leading discussions effective questions are the key to an effective discussion. As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction.
Book clubs are popular not only because people like to read, but also because they are great social outlets. When youre starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply. In my class, unprepared students read the pages in class before joining their group. This can be as simple as going around the group taking it in turns to introduce yourself and saying what you like to read and what youre looking forward to about the book club if youre new or what you like about the club if youre an established. The big list of class discussion strategies cult of pedagogy. How to lead a good discussion christian bible studies. Although it is written mainly to help the group holding beginners meetings, or the member leading them, any other a. Follow this guide to leading a successful and fun discussion. This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. In order to do so, it is important to consider the features of effective discussions, and conditions that promote small group.
How to lead a book group discussion 7 great discussion tips, articlesbase. Now that s a good question how to lead quality bible. Here are some tips and insights about what has worked well for me. Even better still, this book teaches leaders how to develop and ask questions that steer away from the readerresponse traps that so often occur in small group discussions. Decide on the number of studentled book discussions you will have each week. All of us cling to the chain to save our lives, and yet each of us is.
Leading discussions derek bok center, harvard university. When time was up, a different group came inside to the live discussion and the 1st group then went outside and logged into the discussion online. They are a means for students to learn and practice skills, generate ideas, solve problems, consolidate knowledge, criticize arguments, develop insight, and gain confidence in. Discussion must be more than i read the book and i liked it.
This helpful guide provides stimulating reading lists and practical tips for organizing and leading your own successful bookdiscussion group. Classroom discussion is a timehonored way to learn. If your library doesnt offer a regular reading group at your library now is the time to start. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. As you listen, you show the rest of the group you value their opinions. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussioneverything from book. Integrate the results of group work into the closing discussion or lecture, and refer back to these ideas, when relevant, in. Half of your club will think this is an important book, and the other half will think it is worthless. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions that will lead to fruitful exchanges on your enjoyment or lack thereof of the book, plot, and even its. Consider the consequences of being unprepared for a book discussion. Allow time after the group discussions for groups to report the results of group work and for students in other groups to ask questions and comment on their peers ideas. Techniques for leading group discussions main section.
No one had explained to me how to get a discussion. Starting a book club is more complicated than you might think. In general, we recommend having a moderator and rotating the role. When it comes to having good discussions, asking good questions is half the battle. The first smallgroup discussion i led took approximately 15 minutes. Oprah, mark zuckerberg, your neighbor in the apartment next door. The perfect book club is made up of three key things. General book club questions for study and discussion.
Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this. Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this year will be my third year leading our small but dedicated book discussion group. We announce the book selection on the first monday of the. This is a short, quick read study guide on leading bible discussions. Effective facilitation of a discussion involves the recognition and employment of different perspectives and different skills to create an inclusive environment. Gather a group of friends, choose a book and start reading. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot.
It is also an evidencebased way to help students retain information,garside, colleen. Lastly, if you looking to get more out your small group bible study this book will teach you how. A little off topic conversation is fine, but you also want to respect the fact that people have read the book and expect to talk about it. As the facilitator, it is your job to recognize tangents and bring the discussion back to the book. The first article in this series explained how to plan a group discussion in this article, we describe best practices when leading a group discussion theres much more involved than simply getting people in a room, waving a magic wand, and declaring discuss now. Leading discussions at their best, discussions make every student feel like a vital part of the intellectual fabric of the class.
Apr 02, 2007 even better still, this book teaches leaders how to develop and ask questions that steer away from the readerresponse traps that so often occur in small group discussions. Do you want students to apply newly learned skills, mull over new subject matter, learn to analyze arguments critically, practice synthesizing conflicting views, or relate material to their own lives. Oct 15, 2015 the inside group discussed live as i monitored for a grade, the 2 groups on the outside held a conversation online about the same question. Apr 21, 2020 is a thriving book discussion forum, online reading group or book club. No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to your meeting. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Tips for facilitating a group discussion small groups. At your first book club meeting, or whenever new people join your reading group, its good to spend a bit of time getting to know each other. Games to break the ice at book discussion groups and other.
I raced through the questions as if i were a greyhound near the finish line. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. Use a prop or object related to the story, such as maps, photos, paintings, food, or audio. While discussing books is our passion we also have active forums for talking about poetry, short stories, writing and authors. The book club gives employees the opportunity to step up and practice leadership roles such as leading a group discussion or presenting to provide an overview of a chapter. These goals are not mutually exclusive, but they require different types of direction. Aug 08, 2019 this helpful guide provides stimulating reading lists and practical tips for organizing and leading your own successful book discussion group. The first small group discussion i led took approximately 15 minutes. They arent helpful in moving discussions forward, and can make others feel defensive. Home book discussion groups libguides at american library. We read and talk about both fiction and nonfiction books as a community. But as a leader of your book club, you need to take things in stride. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most rewarding experience out of your club meeting.
May 09, 2017 7 tips for leading a lively book discussion group. You can help your organization become a learning organization in which people continuously grow and develop. For many small group leaders, one of the more intimidating things we do is facilitating a group discussion. Each member or team of 2 or 3 takes a card and answers. Book group howtos from the seattle public library guide to leading, coming up with good discussion questions, drawing conclusions and more. Shop online for our annual print editions, which include book overviews, suggested discussion topics and discussion questions for all our annual books. For many smallgroup leaders, one of the more intimidating things we do is facilitating a group discussion. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and pass them out.
Perhaps assigning the avid talker to the observer role would help the person develop sensitivity. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. We read and discuss fiction, nonfiction, short stories, and poetry and host live chats and interviews with leading authors. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. Quick start guide book discussion groups libguides at. The best ones should be labeled this could change your life. Feb 29, 2020 one of the group reads for march is the murmur of bees by sofia segovia please discuss the book in this thread. Although i think this is a book with lots of flaws, i thought it was eye opening to me about what. How to lead a book club discussion pen and the pad. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. Does your book club need a little help in creating conversation. There will likely be times in your life when you will be working in a group, possibly many times.