30 Book Challenge
Every year, I challenge the students (and myself) to read 30 Books!
This may look different and have different meaning to every student. For example, although I challenge myself to read 30 books, I may only be able to read 20 books this year due to taking graduate classes for my Masters in Reading Degree. This may also be a very difficult task for some students, but if they are able to read 15 books, which may be far greater than what they read in 4th grade (5 books) than they have succeeded! For others, they may far surpass this goal and read 40 or 5o books. What is important, is that each student is setting a personal reading goal and trying to achieve or surpass that goal. |
Along with our choice reading, we also have choice reading responses weekly. The kids are allowed to showcase their understanding through a written summary, drawing, compare & contrast venn diagrams, word walls, and many others! (See examples here: Weekly Reading Responses)
We do this to help the students be accountable for their reading as well as to allow a creative outlet. Once a month, every student will also complete a Book Talk (see rubric), where they will "sell" us their book. They will discuss why they enjoyed the book, why others may enjoy the book, and any connections they can make. This helps us build our speaking and listening skills, as well as our ability to understand our reading. |
This classroom philosophy is thanks to Donalyn Miller and her 40 Book Challenge.
"In a nutshell, the 40 Book Challenge invites students to read 40 books across different genres during the school year."
"The 40 Book Challenge is a personal challenge for each student, not a contest or competition between students or classes. In every competition or contest there are winners and losers. Why would we communicate to our students that they are reading losers? For some students, reading 40 books is an impossible leap from where they start as readers, and for others, it’s not a challenge at all."
"Honestly, I don’t care if all of my students read 40 books or not. What matters is that students stretch themselves as readers and increase their competence, confidence, and reading motivation through their daily participation in our reading community. The 40 Book Challenge works for my students and me and for the many teachers successfully implementing it because of these core beliefs:
Everybody reads here. Let’s get started. Our direct influence on students’ reading lives lasts 40 weeks—36 weeks of school and 4 weeks of school vacation. Setting high expectations (roughly a book a week) communicates that reading is ongoing and continues from the first day of school to the last—hopefully longer."
-Donalyn Miller
"In a nutshell, the 40 Book Challenge invites students to read 40 books across different genres during the school year."
"The 40 Book Challenge is a personal challenge for each student, not a contest or competition between students or classes. In every competition or contest there are winners and losers. Why would we communicate to our students that they are reading losers? For some students, reading 40 books is an impossible leap from where they start as readers, and for others, it’s not a challenge at all."
"Honestly, I don’t care if all of my students read 40 books or not. What matters is that students stretch themselves as readers and increase their competence, confidence, and reading motivation through their daily participation in our reading community. The 40 Book Challenge works for my students and me and for the many teachers successfully implementing it because of these core beliefs:
Everybody reads here. Let’s get started. Our direct influence on students’ reading lives lasts 40 weeks—36 weeks of school and 4 weeks of school vacation. Setting high expectations (roughly a book a week) communicates that reading is ongoing and continues from the first day of school to the last—hopefully longer."
-Donalyn Miller
Common Core State Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4.A
Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4.A
Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.