Academic success depends on a variety of factors, but reading is definitely one of the most important. Reading also fosters academic perseverance, imagination, curiosity, and countless other skills that are useful in school and in everyday life. A love of reading doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but participating in a book club can spark that interest while providing a ton of extra benefits. There are many ways to organize a book club. Here are a few suggestions to get you started!
Joining a book club is a great way to encourage your child to read more. Because everyone’s reading the same book, your child will be motivated to finish it in time to discuss it with their friends. Just make sure their motivation doesn’t turn into pressure or lead to stress!
Here are some book club activities you can do to increase motivation:
- Draw your favourite scene
- Debate an issue from the book
- Read your favourite passage out loud
- Etc.
The sense of belonging to a group is an important factor in academic success. Even if the book club takes place outside of school, your child will feel that they’re part of a group, and that can help them create strong friendships.
For children who are a bit shy, this kind of environment can help them develop their self-confidence, since they’ll be able to express themselves freely without being judged. For this reason, it’s essential for the book club to be based on respect and the willingness to listen to what others have to say.
Argumentative thinking is the ability to reason and express one’s thoughts clearly. This is an essential academic skill, especially nearing the end of high school, since the Ministry’s secondary 5 French exam consists of writing an argumentative text. A book club is the perfect opportunity for your child to work on their argumentative and critical thinking skills. Here are some sample questions you can ask your child to spark some interesting conversations:
- Did you enjoy the book? Why or why not?
- What do you think of the choice such and such a character made?
- Who is your favourite character and why?
- What do you think of the artwork on the cover? Does it represent the story well?
Does your child only read a specific literary genre? A book club can expose them to new things and is a great way to spark their curiosity. By reading books from around the world, your child will learn to be more open-minded. They’ll also learn about different cultures and perspectives, both through the readings and while discussing the books with other participants.
One of the most influential factors in academic success is an interest in reading. A good predictor of this interest is how parents talk about books at home. There are several ways you can use a book club to maintain a positive attitude towards reading:
- Participate in the club with your child.
- Ask your child questions when they get home after their book club.
- Go to the library together to look for interesting books for the club on a regular basis.
- Read the selected book with your child and discuss it with them (French only).
- Etc.
To encourage your child to read more at home between book club meetings, try setting up a personalized reading nook that reflects their personality and that they’ll love spending time in.
- Make sure that all participants are at the same general reading level, so that no one feels inferior or left behind.
- Choose a meeting place where all the kids will feel comfortable. It could be a book club member’s home, a park, or a room in your local community centre. You can also hold club meetings online via video conferencing.
- Come prepared with questions and activities, but keep the atmosphere light and easygoing. The kids joined the club to learn, but mostly to have fun! Try suggesting a craft activity related to the discussions to end the meeting, or suggest one they can do later.
- Choose books and themes that align with the interests of the participants. It might be a good idea to ask the kids to come up with five books they’d like to read, or five topics they’d like to discuss.
- Don’t forget to bring snacks and water! An hour of active discussion is sure to make young minds hungry and thirsty. You might even consider making a snack that’s related to the book you’ll be discussing in some fashion!
Writing : The Alloprof Parents' team