6 Steps to Get Started With Book Talking
I regained my teaching confidence and faith in the profession when I began book talking. I connected with students better than ever before, and I felt, for the first time, like I was giving my students a gift they’d never forget or lose. I may sound like a broken record telling you this, but I truly believe that book talking should be a core component of every English class. And if you’re cringing, thinking, not another thing to do, I get it! I know that adding even just one more thing to your jam-packed class period can feel impossibly overwhelming. There never seems to be enough time, but that’s why we have to start working smarter, not harder.
Book talking will give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to student engagement and growth, and the best part is that it is so, so fun! If you haven’t given it a try, this post will break down exactly how to get started. It is, arguably, the most important component of my independent reading system, and it is definitely the most enjoyable.
1. Pick a date. It sounds silly, but choosing a day (especially one with a little alliteration) will help you get consistent with book talking, and it will give students a day to look forward to. In my classroom, book talking happens on “Book Talk Tuesday.” In many other classrooms, teachers do a “First Chapter Friday.” (Personally, I chose Tuesday because in many of my book talks I don’t read aloud the first chapter. I always go with the most enticing couple of pages, and sometimes that comes later in the book.) In my experience, a fun name also helps to cultivate a sense of community around reading, which is really exciting to watch grow.
2. Pick a book (or two). This is the most important part! I am extremely selective about the books I book-talk to my students, because I want to make sure that I am advertising only the most engaging and thought-provoking titles to my students. It’s no secret that it’s a challenge to get middle schoolers excited about reading, so I do my absolute best to only share top-notch novels with my classes. My tried-and-true selections are all included in my book talk guide bundles, but many of the same titles are in blog posts here, too! I recommend starting with one book talk per week, and then as your confidence grows, try doing two per week! I also suggest starting with titles you know will appeal to many of the students in your class so that you get buy-in from the whole class. As the weeks go on, try to vary reading levels, genres, and kinds of protagonists to appeal to a wide variety of readers.
3. Make time during class. I recommend setting aside ten or fifteen minutes for a single book talk. It may take less time, but it’s best not to be rushed, especially at first. Every book talk should include showing students the book cover (either with the actual book or using a picture on a slideshow), reading the back cover and elaborating on the plot as you see fit, and doing a brief read-aloud of a chapter or a few pages to hook students. Book talks truly should be thought of as an advertisement for the novel.
4. Choose a section of the novel to read aloud. Many teachers opt for the first chapter when book-talking, but I find that many titles aren’t particularly engaging in the first chapter. Sometimes, first chapters simply provide background information, and I want my students to be engaged and left hanging during my book talks. I know not every teacher has time to read every book and find the most engaging section to read aloud, so I’ve done the hard work for you by creating book talk guides! My book talk guides provide all the important background information on a novel, suggested read-aloud pages, information about mature content, and more. If you want to book-talk a title you haven’t read, however, the first chapter is usually a safe choice.
5. Create a system for checking out books you’ve book-talked. In all likelihood, most of your class will be clamoring over the title you book-talk each week. It’s good to have a plan in place for selecting a student to read the title. I often use a simple lottery system, putting the names of students who are interested in a hat, then picking one and placing the rest of the students on a waiting list. As the year goes on, this process becomes simpler because though many students will be interested in the books, few will actually be done with their current novel at that moment, so the new title will simply go to the student who isn’t currently reading anything. If you are book-talking the same novel in multiple classes, be sure not to give it away in the first class. I always tell students that they can start reading it the following day, once I’ve finished book-talking it.
6. Create a simple routine for students during book talks. It is a good idea to give students something to do while you are book-talking at the front of the room. I keep my routine extremely simple because I don’t like to have too many moving parts in any system. (Remember, work smarter, not harder!) My students know that during Book Talk Tuesday, they should pull out their notebooks and open to the page that has a simple T-chart. On one side, students keep a running list of titles they’ve read. On the other side, they record titles they want to read. That way, any time students finish a book, they can refer to their list to help them select a new one. Some students get fancy and color-code titles on their list based on how much they enjoy them, but that kind of customization is up to you and your students. Keep it simple, because book talking is truly magical enough on its own!
If you want to learn more about book talking or simple, sustainable independent reading systems, check out these posts:
