If there is any business to discuss, such as picking books for future meetings, you may want to cover these points before the discussion starts in case people need to leave quickly at the end. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to. Book clubs can be powerful tools, providing insights into not only how we partake of literature, but how we let it affect our connections with god and the world around us. Finding the right book club book is easy when you follow these helpful tips. Aside from read the book, here are other ideas to encourage a lively, enjoyable discussion that. The letter was published a day before a planned taping of an oprahs book club show in tucson, where the tv host is expected to have a previously promised deeper discussion about the novel. We hope youll find it as inspiring and engaging as we do. Before each book discussion meeting, i use the resources listed above to. Even if you use a list of standard questions, come up with questions specific to the book being discussed to add depth to the dialogue. Is the group on a roll and ready to tackle that long thick book youve been talking about for months. Alternatively, you could roll a quick meeting first thing in the morning when everybodys still sipping their 8.
In the early years, all of us were mothers of babies and young children. You dont have to be in an english class to analyze books as a group. To make matters worse, its even challenging to gauge whether were doing a good job. Looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. This checklist will help you start and manage your book club, choose titles, and facilitate discussions. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Brainstorm ideas that spring from your interests in the book and ask fellow club members to send their questions to you before the meeting. How to conduct a great book club discussion youtube. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussioneverything from book discussion questions, prompts, games, handouts, even index cards.
Book club norms a poster that includes a list of expectations for participants in book clubs book club bookmarks a bookmark that students can use to take notes while reading independently book club discussion cards 24 discussion cards to keep the conversation moving during the book club meetings or to use. F or many smallgroup leaders, one of the more intimidating things we do is facilitating a group discussion. Facilitation styles and goals are different, and can be flexible to meet the book club s goals and work most effectively with the groups personality and relationship dynamics. These are some of the questions that we have answered by calling on the shared wisdom of many book club members. We were a book club long before oprah started the book club rage. Try to avoid words like awful or idioticeven like and dislike. It is difficult to hold a book club discussion with 1214 active participants over the phone our book club is held across all nine of our offices. Facilitate a job club and help keep job seekers in your area motivated and educated about job search tips and trends. The perfect book club is made up of three key things.
Follow the guidelines below to create interactive and productive business book club or leadership learning group discussions. Want to have fun, meet people, and learn something new. Tips for facilitating a group discussion small groups. Its important to note that sometimes people may need to think before they answer. Keep the mood of the club in mind when selecting the book. You can also use any of these questions as writing prompts. By letting others in the book club answer first, you will promote conversation and help everyone feel like their opinions matter. If not, you can visit the publisher or authors website and find online reading guides. Here are some tips for facilitating a successful discussion on the common reading book.
Prompts for nonfiction reading group discussions keeping nonfiction book club questions simple, but open ended, will allow for plenty of opinions and encourage discussion among members. In fact, differing opinions make the best discussions. Book clubs at work can play a number of different roles. But there is more to starting a book club than you might think. Instructors need not be as neutral as facilitators, but you should strive to bring out the voices in the group, saving teaching behaviors until the group has explored the subject. Discussion guide for white fragility 2018, unitarian.
Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Novemberdecember 2017 this months readers choice selection was made possible by you, our book club members. The book club gives employees the opportunity to step up and practice leadership roles such as leading a group discussion or presenting to provide an overview of a chapter. Is there anything unique about this book such as writing style, structure, or subject matter. Conduct the discussion without trying to direct the group to a particular outcome. For each meeting, designate a facilitator to organize and guide the discussion. Use these details to help guide the direction of the job club you start. They dont help move discussions forward and can put others on the defensive.
Having discussion questions before your book club meets will help facilitate a good discussion of your book. These twenty questions will help facilitate classroom or book group discussions about holes by louis sachar and make great writing prompts. Using the guide this discussion includes plans for a. Follow this guide to leading a successful and fun discussion. I decided to come up with a generic list of book club questions to compel us to dig deeper than did you like the book. I also encourage them to bring in suggestions, and these are.
Considering two questions will help you work out the most effective ways you can facilitate discussion for your book club. Facilitating group discussions stanford university. How to lead a book club discussion pen and the pad. Ann porteus, associate director of residential education nanci howe, assistant dean, director of office of student activities tommy woon, multicultural educator, residential education. In it, diangelo introduces the ideas she explores more deeply in her book. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. It takes all types of people to support all kinds of book clubs. There is never any one way to experience or interpret a book. Or, is the team struggling with the last few books youve read. As you read each novel, jot down page numbers and passages that moved you and where you found answers to the discussion questions. Tips for facilitating a meaningful common reading discussion. Focus your preparation time on questions to ask rather than answers to provide. Need to lead your book club and want tips on how to promote a lively conversation.
The best facilitators encourage conversation and relationshipbuilding through openended questions. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most rewarding experience out of your club meeting. Non fiction book club questions westfield memorial library. Instead, talk about your experiencehow you felt as you read the book. If you want to go beyond the standard reading guide, a great place to find conversation starters is by searching for interviews with the books author. If youre all reading the same book, talk about character or plot development. You bringing your best self will make the best book club experience for everyone. Its your turn to moderatelead your book clubs discussion. You can help your organization become a learning organization in which people continuously grow and develop. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are openended and get people to share their personal opinions. Gather a group of friends, choose a book and start reading. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. Remind the group when its time for the discussion to start.
If not, just talk about what kind of books you like to read, and you can ask the other members about their taste in books. Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club. These tips are also appropriate for most any classroom conversation. After reading holes, use these questions to start a discussion with your students about the book. That way, you can easily share them with the group later on. Work book club success stories the balance careers. Ask members to come with 3 questions to generate thought and discussion, marked passages to read, or relevant articles. Use our ideas to help you organize your book club activities, hold good discussions, and settle tough issues. You will find more in the book club section of our blog when you cant borrow print books from the library during covid19. Book clubs are gatherings for people who enjoy reading. Our 23 hour meetings are primarily a social gathering with a mere 10 minute discussion about the book snuck somewhere in the middle. We decided to max the group at 15 and then with at least four new people.
Most of the articles below are drawn from our inner lives of book clubs report for which we surveyed 5,000 book clubbers. Asking the right questions can mean the difference between a dull, lackluster book club. I prepare a handout for each group member with these titles and a brief book description, and. How to manage difficult meetings in your book discussion group. Encourage conversation about the idea, not necessarily the plot. Learn how to facilitate discussion in a book club from an english professor in this free reading group video on. As our kids grew up, so did the focus of our conversations. The first two things are easy to accomplish just read anything by.
To help you make sure your book club is on point, here is a short guide about how to start a book club to help you make yours perfect. Spend your time during facilitation asking questions and creating a space where genuine dialogue can emerge. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. Come up with goals for your job club and an overall purpose. One of the best pairings with our wine is a good book club. Write down page numbers of important passages to bring to a book club discussion. Before each book discussion meeting, i use the resources listed above to preselect five or so books that i think the group including myself will find intriguing. Facilitating book club discussion with the purpose of taking literary interaction to personal interaction will make the experience significant and profitable for your group. At your regular meetings you may not need one person to lead the group. Thats why its essential that for all of your digital book club meetings, you have an official moderator that can get the discussion going in the beginning with prewritten questions, as well as. If there are new members, make sure they are introduced. Use a prop or object related to the story, such as maps, photos, paintings, food, or audio.
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