Reading Notebooks in the Middle School Classroom-Part 1

How Did This Begin?

After wrapping up our first novel of the year, I wanted to give my 7th graders an opportunity to choose their next book.  I have two 7th grade classes who are unmotivated readers.  I get a lot of, “uggghhhss”, when we read; therefore, I said to them, “How would you like the opportunity to choose your next book?”  My students really liked this idea, so I chose three high-interest novels the students could choose.  I didn’t want the students to choose any book, but books that I have read before, so I could keep track of their reading and have conversations with my students.  The books I chose were: Touching Spirit Bear, Inventing Elliot, and Fever, 1793. If you have never read these books, they are perfect for the middle school classroom!  They also appeal to both the girls and boys.  However, then came my next difficult task: How am I going to keep track of all my students’ reading and their comprehension when three different books are being read in the classroom?!?!

Reading Notebook

I looked at some reader response journals, group discussions, literature circles, but then I found the READING/READER’S NOTEBOOK.  After scouring some of the most fantastic elementary websites, I then asked myself, how can I adapt a elementary method into the middle school classroom?  With much planning and organizing, I think I figured it out! You are going to go on this journey with me, so I will talk about the successes and failures of our reading notebooks!

1. Elementary Schedule: In the elementary reader’s workshop are set up with a 5-10 minute mini-lesson with modeling, independent or group reading, and the last five minutes students share. During the independent reading, the teacher has certain groups break out, and the following day is a new mini-lesson.
Middle School Schedule: I am going to follow the model above, however, I am going to visit all the groups throughout their reading.  In addition, I am not going to start a new lesson the following day, but the students are going to work on reader response questions from the day prior as well as a group discussion activity.  This will give me a great sense of my students’ comprehension of the text.

2.  Notebook Setup:  From what I have gathered, teachers set up their reading notebooks differently depending on the needs of their students.  I am going to have my students set up their notebook with the following sections: Mini-Lessons, Reader Response, Chapter Reading Logs & Vocabulary.

My students are actually going to set up their notebooks today!  I will take pictures and share them with you.  Stay tuned!