Draw and color the book cover, and place the book award ribbon on the cover. This list of 30 creative alternatives to the traditional book report emphasizes multiple intelligences and student imagination. Fun book report alternatives africanamerican homeschool. The idea is for you and the students to have a great time reading, thinking, and writing about books. In this alternative to the traditional book report, students create book trailers using microsoft photo story 3, a free downloadable software program for digital storytelling. Later, once he or she is more comfortable with the foundational comprehension skills, you can lay the groundwork for developing the report writing skills. These alternatives can be more appealing and that will give the students a chance to express themselves in alternative ways. Writing up a standard book report might not be the most fun but its easy and some teachers will require you to stick to the basics.
Although many students enjoy reading, the thought of writing a book report may put a damper on their enjoyment. Students select a book to read based only on its cover art. Mar 24, 2020 consequently, i step outside the book report box and offer my children creative, yet comprehensive postreading activities. Jan 21, 2019 a classroom teacher needs to make sure each student actually read the book. Work with your teacher to find new and creative ways to express your understanding of the story. Fresh ideas for creative book reports education world. Fifty alternatives to the book report readwritethink. Twenty ideas for moving beyond the standard hohum book assignments and engaging your students creative and critical minds in book. There are creative alternatives to written book reports. This is a creative book project that is adaptable for grades 4 12. Fifty alternatives to the book report diana mitchell students tire of responding to novels in the same ways. These handson book reports are sure to enhance any genre study and engage students as they reflect upon their independent reading.
Teach your child to read creative book report ideas for. And i invite you to access the fullcolor version immediately downloadable of 80 alternatives to book reports as well as scores of free resources that you can use to build reading, writing, and learning in your classroom, including powerpoints, pdfs, and word. Nov 25, 2012 6 creative alternatives to book reports 1. With a traditional book report, students describe the major plot points or the main characters. What you actually need is alternatives to book reports. This post contains several book report alternatives that are condensed, fun, engaging and perfect for elementary students. Creative alternatives to book reports teachercreated. If you have other ideas please share them with me in the comments. Do your students grumble every time you mention the words book reports. Websites can be shared easily, and they live on when people stumble upon them through.
Book reports are a valuable tool for assessing students understanding of independent reading, but writing report after report can become rote for students and. As the school years approaches the last days and spring fever claims the limited attention span of students a fun creative alternative to the standard book report may provide a little sanity. Whether your students are reading independent books or your class has just finished a unit on space or pioneers, a culminating project can really cement that learning. On one side of the cover, come up with 10 song titles that represent characters, events, or settings in the book. That reading project can be a real drag on your timebut dont despair. Creative book report assignment you may choose to complete this create book report on either because of winndixie or ida b. These different options focus on multiple different skills in order to assess student comprehension of books and to encourage students to read. Take the information presented into consideration, and you are sure to make the right alternative to your book report. Includes standards alignment for every activity, editable grading rubrics, editable list of activities, and lots of printandgo handouts for students. Help your students make the books they read come alive with these 22 creative book report ideas and examples. Teachers alternatives to book reports 10 ideas for the.
Choose a character from the book and create sentences for each. Dfe update nfer teacher voice omnibus research report july 2016. Instead, we can be creative, its what we do best here after all. What others are saying this post contains several book report alternatives that are condensed, fun, engaging and perfect for elementary students. This 52page bundle contains almost 100 creative student activities.
The end result of book report alternatives, such as the one explored in this lesson plan, is that the activities whet the interest of students in exploring new directions and in responding with greater depth to the books they read mitchell 92. The students create a restaurant style menu, but within each section, they provide some form of literature analysis. Students can complete a book report assignment in artistic formats or in formats that foster good communications skills while still deriving the same benefit from the task. There are authentic alternatives texts created by professional writers and thinkers that do more than a mere book report but stop shorts of serious literary analysis.
Making movies based on popular books is a hollywood staple. Put a new spin on the old book report with these creative alternatives. Creative alternatives to book reports lexia learning. She cant have an indepth conversation about the book with every student.
Activities like the ones that follow are excellent ways to see if students understood the book being read. All other use is strictly forbidden, please see our terms and conditions. Creative alternatives to book reports conversations. There are many, many great ways for students to respond to literature. It is hoped that this diverse group of suggestions will whet the interest of students in exploring new directions and in responding with greater.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of alternative methods to accomplish the same goal. Youll find a variety of ideas ranging from essaybased projects to artistic projects to technology. I had thought to try book reports but i didnt want to force my oldest to write one, nor did i really want to read one. As a result, giving a student the opportunity to make a movie book report can be a huge motivator, allowing them to get creative while displaying their understanding of the book s source material. Bookcasts let students be creative and provide them. There are ways to finish your project that will show your enthusiasm and make your teacher sit up and take notice.
Book reports are a valuable tool for assessing students understanding of independent reading, but writing report after report can become rote for studentsand reading them can be equally tedious for educators. They share their story boxes as an alternative to book reports. Here are, in my opinion, ten of the best creative book report ideas. A quick web search will reveal that there are many ideas out there for.
Better than book reports teachers will find creative alternatives to the traditional book report that tap into student interests and creative writing in ban the book report. Oct 26, 2010 video tape oral book reports and then have the children take turns taking the video home for all to share. Take them beyond boring book reports with 37 creative alternatives that stretch imagination and higherlevel thinking skills. Ten great creative book report ideas minds in bloom.
Have your kids show what they know by creating a card or board game about the book theyve just read. Take a look at these nine ideas ways to light your creative spark and burn through that project in no time. Those are technological platforms through which learners can display the books that they have read. While this format is important in assessing understanding of literary elements, offering alternate book report formats encourages students to use creativity and other writing skills in presenting information about a book. Spice up those old book reports with some new, creative ideas. Nov 09, 2015 i think its time that we turn research reports and papers on their heads. Have students create a portrait of a character from the book. Fifty alternatives to the book report teaching ideas ncte. Asking students to create an alternative ending to a book one. Jul 16, 2017 for many of us, just hearing the words book report gives us a flashback to tedious reports that we were tasked with completing when we were in school. Like podcasting, this type of book report provides an alternative to the traditional writing assignment. If students read a book has already been made into a movie. While its unavoidable that, at some point, your child will have to learn how to write a book report, the skills leading up to that point can be learned in a variety of creative ways. These will work for almost any book and are especially good when students are reading independent book selections.
Just because youre writing a book project for your middle school class doesnt mean you have to stick to the standard report. Thisis a creative way studentscan present an oralpresentation. Replace boring book reports with projects kids love teachhub. Fresh ideas for creative book reports education world education world offers nearly 50 alternative book report ideas in this article, from a book report sandwich to a character trait diagram. Shelfari is one such site that allows learners to interact with other learners and teachers. Creative and powerful ways to start your sentences, and. Creating reading excitement with book trailers readwritethink.
Creative book report assignment appalachian state university. Different ideas on making book reports the classroom. Have students create a portrait of a character from the book they read. Book reports are a valuable tool for assessing students understanding of independent reading, but writing report after report can become rote for studentsand. Students make bookmarks on computers and share their ideas with other readers at their school, while practicing summarizing, recognizing symbols, and writing. Mar 30, 2015 as a result, giving a student the opportunity to make a movie book report can be a huge motivator, allowing them to get creative while displaying their understanding of the books source material. In this alternative to the traditional book report, students report on their novel choices that feature journeys by creating postcards one of the settings featured in their books. Youll find a variety of ideas ranging from essaybased projects to artistic projects to. Creative and powerful ways to start your sentences, and weak sentence starters to avoid. We hope that 24 readytogo genre book reports will help students enjoy both reading and responding to a wide range of literature.
Written book reports, of course, do serve a need, but a steady diet of written reports can induce boredom and stifle enthusiasm toward reading. The creative nature of the projects makes them interesting to share in classroom. Unfortunately, for too many youngsters, writing a book report is bitter frosting. Whether youre working on an author study, need a bookthemed bulletin board idea, or just want kids to reflect on books, this sheet is sure to do the trick. Creative and critical thinking book interactions no tech necessary. Nip that collective groan in the bud by offering your students fun alternatives choices that allow them to connect to a book in ways that are me. Creative activities and project ideas for any novel, story, or unit in history. With this creative list of 40 alternative assessments ideas, your students can prove their knowledge and skills in a way that makes learning fun and engaging. Students could design a tattoo for a character and then write an essay explaining or justifying their choices.
The student shared the books climax on the swiss cheese. Below are seventeen alternatives to a written book report. Create a bookmark to match the theme of the last book. How to enhance book reports using technology huffpost. Youll want to write an essay style report that includes the basics listed above. Spice up those old book reports with some new ideas. Thats why we have been enjoying these fun alternatives to book reports. A quick web search will reveal that there are many ideas out there for creative book reports, but they are not all good ideas. Ban the book report promoting frequent enthusiastic reading. On the mayonnaise, the student described the books setting. In this case, the article you are reading will help you with book reports alternatives. Traditional book reports should be a thing of the past.
Not your grandma s book report harpursville middle school. Consider creative alternatives to some written reports. Education world presents 25 ideas for you to use or adapt. But the homeschool parentwho has just finished reading aloud a book alongside her childhas the luxury of meaningful conversations about the books. I mean, do you really want to read 30125 recaps of the same book. On the back of the book cover, explain why you are giving the award to the book. Oct 20, 2017 while its unavoidable that, at some point, your child will have to learn how to write a book report, the skills leading up to that point can be learned in a variety of creative ways. Halfway through grade one, my adored, grandmotherly teacher saw fit to promote me, in one dizzying moment, from a member of the earthbound turtles reading group, past the bluebirds in the treetops, to join the soaring eagles. Book report ideas 20 ways of looking at the book these activities address multiple intelligences and a range of student ability levels. Book in a boxin this book responseactivity, studentsdecorate a box torepresent the book and fillit with objects thatsymbolize differentaspects of the story. Later, once he or she is more comfortable with the foundational comprehension skills, you can lay the groundwork for developing the reportwriting skills. Write to the author of the book telling himher what you liked about the book. Students tire of responding to novels in the same ways.
They want new ways to think about a piece of literature and new ways to dig into it. Check out these three fun and fabulous book report alternatives. Illustrate a scene or character from the book on a tshirt. Make your reading project sizzle with these hot ideas. Although i do not assign the traditional book reports i was required to produce in own reading past, i am always looking for more reading response options. Mention the words book report, and chances are, youll see eyes roll. See more ideas about teaching reading, reading workshop and 4th grade reading. Some require very little actual writing but require the same thinking and rehearsal as a more formal piece of written text. Write a script and have several rehearsals before presenting it to the class. Allowing students to have some alternatives to writing about the characters, setting and plot can engage them while giving a teacher the information she needs to assess a students understanding of specific. Your opinion of the book and reasons for your opinion 2. Student book recommendations are a great way to get kids talking about the stories they read. Response maps, writing frames, book report alternatives, and research report templates help kids summarize science experiments, books, and what theyve learned in a unit of study.
Promoting frequent and enthusiastic reading, offers creative alternatives to my letters and journals. Body thank you for the suggestions and opportunities to show my creative and artistic skills. After reading the book, they use an interactive tool to create a new cover for it. Be book report pen pals and share book reports with children in another school.
Use these twentyfive ideas to shake up your bookrelated activities. Book report alternatives printable book reports, research reports and skills sheets my file cabinet. Alternative book reports for the 21st century whooos. Students draw scenes from a selected part of the bookperhaps a scene. The character in the book you are most like and why 3. When your curriculum includes a lot of book reports, give students the option of turning in a drawing, diorama, or another project as a break. Employee services use of these systems is for employees and designates of creative alternatives, inc. Book reports and research reports these lesson ideas, worksheets, and graphic organizers are perfect resources to help kids plan before writing. Video tape oral book reports and then have the children take turns taking the video home for all to share. Fun and creative book report ideas for middle school students. Ive also included suggested requirements for these thoughtfuland funresponses to literature. Make sure you include your home or school address in the letter. Encourage students to respond to literature as they learn to talk and write about books. Book report alternatives for kids who hate to write well.