Selecting a book is a complex task, but one that is well worth learning. As adults, we select books that offer opportunities to relax and enjoy ourselves. While we don't specifically choose books to increase our reading skills, we may challenge ourselves to get to know a new author or genre. Students, too, might want to learn to read a new author or genre or increase the variety of their reading. Generally, however, they select books just as we do: they choose one that looks interesting.
Initially, they may not know how to choose well, so you will want to teach them how to think about selecting a book that works best for them. Here are six ways you can show students how to choose books.
- Listen to a book talk and match characteristics of the book to their interests.
- Examine book covers, cover copy, and illustrations.
- Sample a bit of the text to get a feel for the language and the author's style.
- Think about the topic, considering their interests and previous knowledge.
- Think about how the book matches their own reading background and experience and whether they would need to listen to an audio version or another person read it to them.
- Consider whether the book will offer challenges or opportunities to expand their knowledge or skill.
Adapted from
Guiding Readers and Writers by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. Copyright (c) 2001 by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. Published by Heinemann.