How to Boost Reading Engagement with Book Clubs

Students and reading aren’t always a match made in heaven. (That’s an understatement.) Sure, some are avid readers, but some are more I’d-rather-do-anything-else-ers. Of course, you’d love for students to discover the joy of getting lost in a good book – and that starts with boosting their reading engagement. You feel like you’ve tried everything to put an end to the moaning and groaning over reading. But, have you thought about book clubs?

Why You Should Use Book Clubs for Reading Engagement

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Much like how you can give a student a book, but you can’t make them enjoy reading. Until now. Book clubs are a fun way to get your students excited about independent reading. They give middle schoolers a whole range of academic benefits, including helping to boost their reading confidence. Book clubs also encourage students to lean on each other for support with comprehension and critical thinking.

You can find more about book clubs in my workshop, Book Clubs in a Box!

Getting Started with Book Clubs in the Classroom

If you’re not sure what you’re doing, book clubs can be a bit of a logistical nightmare. (I may or may not have had an experience so terrible that I swore off book clubs for an entire year.) There are a lot of details to work out. Such as how to put your students into groups, keep them motivated, and *actually* assess them… So, let me give you a hand! 

#1 Build a Reading Community

Before you jump into book clubs in the classroom, you need to make sure your students are reading for at least 10-15 minutes a day. (Or ideally 20 minutes.) By setting this reading expectation, you’ll cut down the moaning time and start fostering a classroom community that celebrates reading. You can find out how to smoothly build a reading community in my Book Clubs in a Box workshop.

#2 Try Different Variations

Like most things, there’s no one right way to do it—classroom book clubs included. You’ll need to try things out and find what works best for you and your students. There are more than 10 different ways to host book clubs. This includes having every student read the same book, mixing book titles, or grouping around genres.

If you need help, check out Book Clubs in a Box. In this workshop, I’ll walk you through all 10+ methods—including resources to help you implement them—so you can start improving reading engagement (without the eye-twitching stress). 

#3 Select Books

Books clubs are fun because students get choices. Help your students get interested by sharing book talks and book trailers. Or, encourage your middle schoolers to sample new books and genres by browsing a ‘Starbooks’ menu (a fun book-tasting activity). When you purchase the Book Clubs in a Box workshop, you’ll get everything you need to set up your own Starbooks, including student book preference sheets.

I’d recommend starting with shorter books (like 100-200 pages of verse novels or short stories), so your kids start with some quick wins, and then you can level up to lengthier books. 

#4 Create Groups

I suggest creating smaller groups (of roughly 3 students) so everyone gets a chance to share their ideas and opinions without feeling overwhelmed. These smaller groups are also easier for you to manage. When you know which books your students are most interested in, let them know they could be reading any of their top choices, and if they didn’t get their favorite this time, they will soon!

A great way to start is getting everyone reading the same book. Then, when you’re feeling more advanced, create groups based on genre so they’re all reading something a bit different but they can still engage in book club discussions.

A Workshop for Reading Engagement

Feeling excited about book clubs in your classroom? Wish you had step-by-step instructions on exactly what to do to make sure your students get the most out of them? In Book Clubs in a Box, I’ll walk you through the entire book club process. From setting them up to keeping students engaged.

You’ll get immediate, lifetime access to the 90-minute workshop, guidance and training with actionable strategies, book club resources and frameworks, exclusive resources based on feedback from teachers like you, plus 3 amazing bonuses! 

You’ll walk away knowing how to:

• Create a book club or literature circle set-up that works for you and your students.
• Easily put students into groups with a plan to facilitate them and hold them accountable so they’re actually learning (as well as having fun!).
• Foster discussion and reading engagement among your students’ groups so you can increase their independence as the year goes on.

You can grab Book Clubs in a Box here! Want to get Book Clubs in a Box for free (and get your hands on hundreds of other ready-to-use ELA resources and workshops)? Join the Hungry Teacher’s Hub.