WELCOME TO DAY FIVE OF CAMP CREATIVE

Wow, we've done so much already! You've got a classroom library plan, a First Chapter Friday program in the works,  fun ideas for keeping reading visible and exciting in your classroom, and more. Today we're talking about assessment. How do you build choice reading into your gradebook without ruining it?

The key is to create a clear way for kids to show you that they're reading that makes sense as part of your overall reading culture. In other words, they're sharing about their book so others can find out if they want to read it, NOT to prove to you that they're reading.

Maybe you ask kids to start with one book per term, or a certain amount of pages. They have complete choice over that book.  There are a lot of fun options around what comes next. Let's take a look at three of them. 

Here are three easy ways to build in accountability without taking the focus off reading.

Book Reviews: Have students write short reviews of their books, taking a strong stance on whether or not others should read it. If you wish, gather the reviews in a binder for future readers, or use the reviews to create a class book review blog that everyone can access for ideas for future reading. (Here's an example). 

Book Check-Ins: Another easy option is to have kids share their books through a book talk to the class, again taking a clear stance on whether or not they recommend it. Or have them create short Instagram posts about their book, including a related image or a photo of them with their book, and then a review-style caption. These are fun to print out and turn into a bulletin board ("Insta-Good Reads.")

Book Trailers: If you want kids to put a little more time and effort into the final project, have them create short videos about their books. These can be film-style trailers, or video reviews. Either way, building a library of book videos gives you an excellent resource to share with students. You can link them all from a reading website you create for your class, play one or two each week to help build enthusiasm for new books, or even do a film festival of all the reviews at the end of term, asking students to take note of at least five books they're interested in reading  the next term. 

Down the road, if you're looking for a fun grand finale to a big year of choice reading, consider holding a reading festival.

Your reading festival can showcase the best books, reviews, trailer videos, and more for the students coming into that grade level. Your class can design reading recommendation bookmarks, summer reading challenges, top ten lists in each genre that they've enjoyed, and more. Put kids in committees (invitations and public relations, atmosphere, refreshments, etc.) and let them invite the younger kids and any adults they'd like to have present, consider the location and set-up, bring in food, create playlists, etc. 

This is not only a special way for your class to end the year, it helps to ignite the spark of the reading culture for your incoming students.

You made it through all five days! I hope you're excited to put all these resources into action.

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing the all-access page with you so you can  easily save all these materials in one place. 

Did you enjoy this way of discovering new options for your classroom? Click the link below if you'd like to learn more about having this level of support year round. You just might want to leap through the doors of my teacher membership, The Lighthouse, which is opening up for the next five days to welcome new members for 2022.