Note to the Teacher: Same Sheets, Two Styles

Transcription

1 Note to the Teacher: Thanks for downloading this handout to explain Sustained Silent Reading procedures to your students. As you ll see, I use book talks with my students instead of traditional book reports, posters, or speech presentations. The book talk is a just an informal conversation with the student wherein I determine whether the student actually read the book. As the kid talks about the plot, I flip through the pages of his book and ask about specific characters or scenes. I also like to read a small bit aloud to the student and have him tell me what happens next in the chapter. As he s talking, it s easy to look through the next few pages and see if he s right. Same Sheets, Two Styles It s awesome not to have a stack of book reports to grade at the end of each term, but my favorite part of this assignment is the one-on-one time it allows me to spend with each student. Even if the book talk is only two or three minutes, I find it helps to build connections with kids (most of my classes have students) that I wouldn t otherwise have time to make. This download includes two separate options the first handout (up to 250 pg. per nine-week quarter) is for reluctant or younger readers. I use this one with freshmen and sophomores. The second handout (up to 500 pg. per nine-week quarter) is for juniors, seniors, and honors underclassmen. I also recently updated this product so it now features two distinct styles. You ll find a clean-lined modern version and a messy, grungy style. The information on the handouts is the same; I just thought teachers would appreciate choosing the one that best fits their classroom style. Give it a try for one quarter and see how it works for you. Less to grade. More fun for all. I mean, S.S.R. is supposed to be a fun time, right? The teens really respond well to not having to build yetanother poster board or collage. Some years, they ve actually cheered when I introduced the assignment. Tracking page-counts for students is super-simple, too. Just use the tally sheet for each student and jot down the titles and pagecounts of successfully reported books. At the end of each quarter, add up the pages, consult the sliding scale, and bam! enter the grade. You re done. It takes me less than five minutes (really!) to figure and record the grades. Hope you like this approach to managing your S.S.R. tasks. If you like my work and would like to see more, please visit my store at:

2 S.S.R. Tired of book reports? This year, let s just talk. 1. During our in-class Sustained Silent Reading reading time, you may read any fiction book that you haven t read before. Your literature textbook may not be used as an S.S.R. book. 2. I expect the books to be appropriate for your age and reading ability. If I question your choice of a book, I may ask for a note from your parents. 3. Get your book from any source our library, the public library, your home, or borrowed from a friend. Some people actually go to book stores and buy their books. No, really. Talk to me about your e-reader (Kindles, Nooks, etc.) and we ll come to an agreement. Other devices, such as ipods, ipads, and cell phones, are not allowed to be used as your e-reader. 4. Quarter book talks on your S.S.R. reading will count for the equivalent of a major test. To receive the full 100 points, you must successfully report on 250 pages per quarter. It is the total number of pages you read that will determine your grade, not the number of books. If you read more than the required number of pages in the quarter, the extra will carry over to the next nine weeks grading period. The scale is as follows: A A B B B C C C D D D F 142 and below 5. Books with pictures will count less. Come see me to discuss a reasonable page count. 6. Reading will take place regularly in class, but students will need to read outside of class time to meet the 250- page goal. You will earn points for in-class reading time. 7. The book report is an informal book talk with me. Your job is to convince me that you read the book. Be prepared to answer specific, detailed questions about your book. 8. Your book talk will be scheduled toward the end of the quarter. I will announce deadlines in class. To maintain fairness, the deadlines will rotate each quarter. 9. Feel free to complete book talks early. As soon as you finish a book, come see me to get the report done. If you delay and wait until the deadline, you ll likely forget details and will fail the book talk with me. 10. You are allowed to present only one book report to me per day. Again, report to me as soon as you finish a book. Don t allow your book talks to pile up and then try to do them all the day of your deadline. Every year, there s at least one sad soul who brings two books to me on deadline day only to be crushed by this rule. Don t be that kid. 11. If you try to report on a book and are not able to convince me that you read it, I will record this on your book log and you will not receive credit. 12. You may abandon a book that you don t like anywhere within the window of 25-to-50 pages. This means that you must read as least 25 pages before you ditch the book, but you won t get credit for anything beyond 50 pages that you read. I don t allow reports on books that you haven t finished. See me to complete a report on the pages you read before you abandon a book. 13. You may take notes while you read and use those notes during the book report. Post-It notes work especially well. 14. You must have the book with you to do a book report. No book = no report. 15. I will keep track of your pages. You may ask to look at your book log anytime. 16. Special note about books connected to a movie or TV show: You may report on ONE movie/tvrelated b o o k each SEMESTER, to a maximum of 150 pages total. This means that even if you read a movie/ TV-related book that is, for example, 250 pages long, you will not receive credit for all the pages. Make sure you understand this rule. The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. Mark Twain

3 S.S.R. Tired of book reports? This year, let s just talk. 1. During our in-class Sustained Silent Reading reading time, you may read any fiction book that you haven t read before. Your literature textbook may not be used as an S.S.R. book. 2. I expect the books to be appropriate for your age and reading ability. If I question your choice of a book, I may ask for a note from your parents. 3. Get your book from any source our library, the public library, your home, or borrowed from a friend. Some people actually go to book stores and buy their books. No, really. Talk to me about your e-reader (Kindles, Nooks, etc.) and we ll come to an agreement. Other devices, such as ipods, ipads, and cell phones, are not allowed to be used as your e-reader. 4. Quarter book talks on your S.S.R. reading will count for the equivalent of a major test. To receive the full 100 points, you must successfully report on 500 pages per quarter. It is the total number of pages you read that will determine your grade, not the number of books. If you read more than the required number of pages in the quarter, the extra will carry over to the next nine weeks grading period. The scale is as follows: A A B B B C C C D D D F 285 and below 5. Books with pictures will count less. Come see me to discuss a reasonable page count. 6. Reading will take place regularly in class, but students will need to read outside of class time to meet the 500- page goal. You will earn points for in-class reading time. 7. The book report is an informal book talk with me. Your job is to convince me that you read the book. Be prepared to answer specific, detailed questions about your book. 8. Your book talk will be scheduled toward the end of the quarter. I will announce deadlines in class. To maintain fairness, the deadlines will rotate each quarter. 9. Feel free to complete book talks early. As soon as you finish a book, come see me to get the report done. If you delay and wait until the deadline, you ll likely forget details and will fail the book talk with me. 10. You are allowed to present only one book report to me per day. Again, report to me as soon as you finish a book. Don t allow your book talks to pile up and then try to do them all the day of your deadline. Every year, there s at least one sad soul who brings two books to me on deadline day only to be crushed by this rule. Don t be that kid. 11. If you try to report on a book and are not able to convince me that you read it, I will record this on your book log and you will not receive credit. 12. You may abandon a book that you don t like anywhere within the window of 25-to-50 pages. This means that you must read as least 25 pages before you ditch the book, but you won t get credit for anything beyond 50 pages that you read. I don t allow reports on books that you haven t finished. See me to complete a report on the pages you read before you abandon a book. 13. You may take notes while you read and use those notes during the book report. Post-It notes work especially well. 14. You must have the book with you to do a book report. No book = no report. 15. I will keep track of your pages. You may ask to look at your book log anytime. 16. Special note about books connected to a movie or TV show: You may report on ONE movie/tvrelated b o o k each SEMESTER, to a maximum of 150 pages total. This means that even if you read a movie/ TV-related book that is, for example, 350 pages long, you will not receive credit for all the pages. Make sure you understand this rule. The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. Mark Twain

4 S.S.R. Tired of book reports? This year, let s just talk During our in-class Sustained Silent Reading reading time, you may read any fiction book that you haven t read before. Your literature textbook may not be used as an S.S.R. book. 2. I expect the books to be appropriate for your age and reading ability. If I question your choice of a book, I may ask for a note from your parents. 3. Get your book from any source our library, the public library, your home, or borrowed from a friend. Some people actually go to book stores and buy their books. No, really. Talk to me about your e-reader (Kindles, Nooks, etc.) and we ll come to an agreement. Other devices, such as ipods, ipads, and cell phones, are not allowed to be used as your e-reader. 4. Quarter book talks on your S.S.R. reading will count for the equivalent of a major test. To receive the full 100 points, you must successfully report on 250 pages per quarter. It is the total number of pages you read that will determine your grade, not the number of books. If you read more than the required number of pages in the quarter, the extra will carry over to the next nine weeks grading period. The scale is as follows: A A B B B C C C D D D F 142 and below 10. You are allowed to present only one book report to me per day. Again, report to me as soon as you finish a book. Don t allow your book talks to pile up and then try to do them all the day of your deadline. Every year, there s at least one sad soul who brings two books to me on deadline day only to be crushed by this rule. Don t be that kid. 11. If you try to report on a book and are not able to convince me that you read it, I will record this on your book log and you will not receive credit. 12. You may abandon a book that you don t like anywhere within the window of 25-to-50 pages. This means that you must read as least 25 pages before you ditch the book, but you won t get credit for anything beyond 50 pages that you read. I don t allow reports on books that you haven t finished. See me to complete a report on the pages you read before you abandon a book. 13. You may take notes while you read and use those notes during the book report. Post-It notes work especially well. 14. You must have the book with you to do a book report. No book = no report. 5. Books with pictures will count less. Come see me to discuss a reasonable page count. 15. I will keep track of your pages. You may ask to look at your book log at any time. 6. Reading will take place regularly in class, but students will need to read outside of class time to meet the 250-page goal. You will earn points for in-class reading time. 7. The book report is an informal book talk with me. Your job is to convince me that you read the book. Be prepared to answer specific, detailed questions about your book. 8. Your book talk will be scheduled toward the end of the quarter. I will announce deadlines in class. To maintain fairness, the deadlines will rotate each quarter. 9. Feel free to complete book talks early. As soon as you finish a book, come see me to get the report done. If you delay and wait until the deadline, you ll likely forget details and will fail the book talk with me. 16. Special note about books connected to a movie or TV show: You may report on ONE movie/tv-related book each SEMESTER, to a maximum of 150 pages total. This means that even if you read a movie/tv-related book that is, for example, 250 pages long, you will not receive credit for all the pages. Make sure you understand this rule before you choose a such a book. The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. Mark Twain

5 S.S.R. Tired of book reports? This year, let s just talk During our in-class Sustained Silent Reading reading time, you may read any fiction book that you haven t read before. Your literature textbook may not be used as an S.S.R. book. 2. I expect the books to be appropriate for your age and reading ability. If I question your choice of a book, I may ask for a note from your parents. 3. Get your book from any source our library, the public library, your home, or borrowed from a friend. Some people actually go to book stores and buy their books. No, really. Talk to me about your e-reader (Kindles, Nooks, etc.) and we ll come to an agreement. Other devices, such as ipods, ipads, and cell phones, are not allowed to be used as your e-reader. 4. Quarter book talks on your S.S.R. reading will count for the equivalent of a major test. To receive the full 100 points, you must successfully report on 500 pages per quarter. It is the total number of pages you read that will determine your grade, not the number of books. If you read more than the required number of pages in the quarter, the extra will carry over to the next nine weeks grading period. The scale is as follows: 10. You are allowed to present only one book report to me per day. Again, report to me as soon as you finish a book. Don t allow your book talks to pile up and then try to do them all the day of your deadline. Every year, there s at least one sad soul who brings two books to me on deadline day only to be crushed by this rule. Don t be that kid. 11. If you try to report on a book and are not able to convince me that you read it, I will record this on your book log and you will not receive credit. 12. You may abandon a book that you don t like anywhere within the window of 25-to-50 pages. This means that you must read as least 25 pages before you ditch the book, but you won t get credit for anything beyond 50 pages that you read. I don t allow reports on books that you haven t finished. See me to complete a report on the pages you read before you abandon a book. A A B B B C C C D D D F 285 and below 13. You may take notes while you read and use those notes during the book report. Post-It notes work especially well. 14. You must have the book with you to do a book report. No book = no report. 5. Books with pictures will count less. Come see me to discuss a reasonable page count. 15. I will keep track of your pages. You may ask to look at your book log at any time. 6. Reading will take place regularly in class, but students will need to read outside of class time to meet the 500-page goal. You will earn points for in-class reading time. 7. The book report is an informal book talk with me. Your job is to convince me that you read the book. Be prepared to answer specific, detailed questions about your book. 8. Your book talk will be scheduled toward the end of the quarter. I will announce deadlines in class. To maintain fairness, the deadlines will rotate each quarter. 9. Feel free to complete book talks early. As soon as you finish a book, come see me to get the report done. If you delay and wait until the deadline, you ll likely forget details and will fail the book talk with me. 16. Special note about books connected to a movie or TV show: You may report on ONE movie/tv-related book each SEMESTER, to a maximum of 150 pages total. This means that even if you read a movie/tv-related book that is, for example, 350 pages long, you will not receive credit for all the pages. Make sure you understand this rule before you choose a such a book. The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. Mark Twain

6 S.S.R. Tally Sheet Student s Name: Period: First Quarter # of rollover pgs., if any: Second Quarter # of rollover pgs., if any: Third Quarter # of rollover pgs., if any: Fourth Quarter No more rollover! It s time for summer vacation. DONE

7 Come check out my store at: Randazzo Want more innovative solutions for your English classroom?