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COLEGIO DE STA. ANA DE VICTORIAS, INC.

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MODULE 2: ENGAGING LEARNERS TO LITERATURE READING

Lesson 8: Pupil – led Book Talk

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to

LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Discuss the impact of conducting pupil-led book talks
 Differentiate the characteristics of book talks and reading aloud
 Simulate an actual pupil-led book talk

LEARNING
Answer the following questions:INPUTS
1) What unforgettable storybook have you read since when you were in the elementary grades?
2) Did you enjoy the story? Were you entertained by them? Why?

 Future teachers like you could use the same experience you have had to enhance pupils’ love for
children’s literature and their oral and reading literacies.

 One teaching strategy which you can use is the use of “book talks”.

 Book talks according to Atwell (2007), are brief enthusiastic oral description of a book that a
learner has entertainingly read. They are used to entice other pupils to read that same book or
other short storybooks.

 Doing book talks is not creating a book report and sharing it before the class but they are used
primarily to used to prove to the teacher that the pupil has read a book. (Miller, 2009)

 Aronson (2012) noted that book talks are used to familiarize the audience with the specific book
in just a short period, particularly in two or three minutes. In that short time the pupils will have
the opportunity to expose other children to the main characters of the story, the main conflict, and
the exciting journey of the character toward the end.

 Benefits of conducting book talks in the elementary classes:

1. Book talks do not only engage young pupils to read but also develop a community of
readers. Listening to book talks may open the key to establishing closer relationships
among readers. In that way, collaboration and communication are developed.

2. Conducting book talks is a way of introducing students to a vast array of texts because
they can be exposed to many authors, genres, and series within minutes.

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3. Introducing book talks can be extremely advantageous for struggling readers. It can
improve their confidence level of choosing a book, and sharing it with their peers,
especially if they will be given proper reading guidance.

4. Conversations arising from the book talks serve as improvement of comprehension in the
part of the sharer-reader.

5. Engaging in book talks also targets some core reading and speaking (including listening)
standards and competencies inscribed in the current K to 112 English Curriculum. They
include the following:

a. Asking and answering questions about key details in a text;

b. Retelling stories and noting details;
c. Describing characters, setting, and major events in a story; and
d. Participating in collaborative conversations with diverse partners.

Researched -based Criteria (Batchelor and Cassidy 2019)

Criteria Focus Description
Energy Express sincerity and spirit The speaker should express
sincere, jubilant energy (e.g. no
monotone)
Summary Avoid giving away too much Retelling is succinct without revealing
too much, yet summarizes
the theme, plot, and characters
Passage Provide a meaty taste of the The selected passage has an
text impact, and will draw students in
without revealing spoilers.
Connections Make it matter Speaker notes the storybook’s
relevance to self, others and/or the
society
Flow Prepare your conversation Discussion flows should be like a
conversation
Time Keep it short and sweet Meets requirements of 5 minutes or
less (depending upon the grade
level)

Implementing pupil-led book talks take place over quite a long period (maybe weeks) with a slow, gradual
release of responsibility to the learners.

Steps in implementing Pupil-led Book Talks:

1. Model how book talks are conducted

Look for sample videos on how to conduct book talks before immersing the pupils to do
book talks. Download video clips of actual book talks in the elementary classes and let the pupil
watch. Let the pupils discuss among themselves the salient points on what they noticed about the
video clips. After a week, remodel the clips in a class by conducting a mini-book talk. Encourage
the pupils that they will later be the ones to share their most loved storybooks in front.

2. Scaffold their early attempts to conduct book talks

Prepare the pupils toward their big day. You may first conduct a read-aloud session using
a concise storybook ( review read-aloud strategy) Stories like “Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse” or “
The Woman Who Swallowed a Fly” may be used. Explain how to prepare for a book talk by
giving them ways to elicit the salient details they need. Providing an anchor chard, doing a pair
work, or providing them a copy of the book may help. Here is a sample anchor chart.

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Book Talks Anchor Chart

1. The_ of my is
.

2. The author _ is_.

3. The main character is__.

In my book, first_, then, _, finally,.

You should read this book because

.

3. Practice makes perfect

This stage prepares them for the actual presentation of their book talks. Provide the pupils
with an array of popular short storybooks to choose from. Grouping them in this activity may also
be an effective aid for starters. Let them read and monitor their work. If necessary, provide them
still with scaffolds. As an exercise, each day, a certain pupil will just share a portion of the
storybook that has been chosen by the group. In this manner, pupils can have a taste of how to
stand before the class. After such time, the pupils will be totally ready for their actual book talks.

4. Engage in a real book talk

Select a fixed schedule of book talk. For example, label the program as “Friday Book
Talks”. Discuss with them the schedule and the mechanics of conducting the book talks. You may
invite parents to boost the morale of the pupils doing the book talks.

5. Gather feedback from the book talks

One good way to improve the conduct of book talks is by gathering feedback from the
participants. Inviting your head teacher or area coordinator or a few faculty members may be a
good way to gather feedback for improvement. If faculty members cannot attend, take a video of
the book talks and let it be critiqued by other teacher. Feedback may also come from the pupils
themselves. Using graphic organizers or short evaluation discussion may be a few of the many
ways to get feedback from them.

REMINDERS

 Book talks are not limited to a certain type of reader or a certain type of text. Remember, by
properly implementing this strategy, you can improve pupils’ comprehension and develop their
love for reading at the same time.
 As an assessment strategy to monitor if pupils are progressing or otherwise, you may use
anecdotal records or checklists.

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 Pupils who may still have the difficulty coping with the requirements of book talk may be given
ample assistance and appropriate encouragement.
 Note that pupil-led book talks is an authentic way to assist in developing a vibrant reading
community.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Deadline :

The following is a Venn Diagram. Use it to compare and contrast the features or characteristics of pupil-
led book talks and reading aloud.

Book Talks Reading Aloud

LESSON HIGHLIGHTS: _
_
These lessons have exposed you to some teaching strategies and techniques in engaging the learners in
literature reading _

 Appropriate teaching materials and texts are necessary to engage learners in reading literature.
According to a study, the criteria include cultural enrichment, the authenticity of the material,
relevant language enrichment and ease requirements in reading and understanding (CARE)
 Reading aloud is a teaching strategy that can both enhance literacy and develop a love for
literature. Variations have emerged in the 21st century context, such interactive reading aloud
and dramatized reading aloud .
 Doing rea-aloud activities with the elementary graders scaffolds children’s understanding of the
salient parts of the text. Many researchers have found the benefits of reading aloud.
 Literature circle banks on the use of social constructivism to promote communication and
collaboration among readers. Variations have also emerged like online literature circles and
differentiated literature circles.
 The more senses involved in learning a text, the more meaningful learning becomes.
Multisensory literature teaching provides elementary grades more ways to connect with the
text.
 Multisensory literature teaching also banks on whole-brain learning. It can be combined with
Gradner’s theory of multiple intelligences
 Emerging modifications of multisensory literature teaching are multisensory storytelling.

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