The Missouri Reader Vol. 36, Issue 1 | Page 40

Hasan‘s (2000) information literate characteristics for research inquiry. Preparing for a Book Talk Now that the teacher knows the students and has established a purpose for the book talk, it is time to select and gather books. Keep in mind the important rule to follow when planning book talks throughout the school year is: mix it up, be flexible, and do not be afraid to make things work for the students‘ and the teacher‘s needs. Variety is the spice of life, so in order to keep students interested in weekly nonfiction book talks, the teacher needs to rotate the book talk purpose between love for reading, content focused, literacy focused, and research inquiry skills. It is also important to vary the promotion style of the book talks. A benefit book talks provide the teacher with is flexibility in the daily schedule. Different book talk purposes require different amounts of instructional time. The teacher needs to think about the different book talk times, compare those times to the book talk purpose, and plan accordingly. One option is to carve out a 15-20 minute block of time every Monday morning. If Mondays are not good, the teacher can select any day of the week to do the 15-20 minutes book talk. This time can be first thing in the morning, or it can be a transitional time between activities throughout the day. These particular book talks lend themselves to the purpose of encouraging a love for reading. The teacher can book talk all 15-20 books, model the selection process, and then display the books around the room where students can easily access and read them during independent reading time. This particular kind of book talk can run for one week or two, depending on how many books were promoted and how long they keep the interest of the class. An alternative time allotment could be a daily 5-15 minute book talk. This kind of book talk goes well when the purpose is content, literacy, or research inquiry skills focused. Anytime the teacher is studying a subject for a week or more and utilizing the book talk time to model necessary strategies related to the subject area, one or two books can be promoted a day instead of all of the books at once. Bottom line, teachers need to know their students and conduct weekly nonfiction book talks in a way that works for their students. Selecting books goes back to the purpose. The teacher must have a clear idea of the book talk purpose before beginning to select and gather books. Teachers often plan the week before they actually teach what they are plan