Below is a great chart to post for the kids for when they finish with a given book study. Rather than to have the group close their books and permanently adjourn, give them one last chance to ponder, reflect, consider, and demonstrate what they have taken away from the book study. After all, a book study is unlike a simple pleasure read. Just the opposite, children have been trained to read more slowly, more thoughtfully, and for the purpose of discussing the content. They have spent many days together with a particular book and to simply walk away from it at the end without further personal reflection would seem contradictory. So, below is the form you can post on the wall for the children to refer to at the end of a book study. Collect their journals when they are done and review their thoughts.
Prompts for Final Reading Response
Name_____________________Date________________
Book________________________________________
Choose (4) of the questions from the prompts below and answer them in complete detail in your reading response notebook.
· Describe how the main character changed from the start of the book to the end.
· Describe the plot of this story as a summary, and be sure to give details about the setting.
· Explain why you would or wouldn’t recommend this book to other people.
· Describe the part of the book that you enjoyed the most and explain why it was your favorite part.
· Write a letter to the author and tell her/him what she or he might have done to make the book better for kids.
· Describe another book that is similar to the one you have just read in your group. Explain why they are alike.
· Identify the problem the main character faced in this story and how he/she resolved this problem in the end.
· Write about five major details from the story in order as they occurred.
· Write a book review of this story.
· Write about how your group worked together, how reading this book was different than reading a book at DEAR, and why reading more slowly may help you understand the story better.
