Book Talks in 3/4 with Cynthia Fox Barney

Depending on the unit, reading groups in the lower school vary in structure, ranging from level-based groupings, interest-based groupings, and full-class texts. During their most recent assignment, the 3rd and 4th graders all read the same book: Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks. At several checkpoints throughout the book, the students met in small, mixed-grade groups for a Book Talk facilitated by a 4th grader. During Book Talks, the 4th graders introduce questions, guide discussion, and help encourage their peers to participate with each other and engage with the text. This model lends itself to the multi-grade model at FCS, fostering collaboration between grades and providing leadership opportunities for 4th graders.

While empowering students to drive their own learning, Book Talks help students devote time to interacting with literature beyond just reading words on a page. Their discussions help build comprehension skills and focus on understanding and exploring the text together. They sequence and summarize their recent range of chapters, identify key story elements, and answer questions designed to strengthen their analytical skills, like making inferences and considering multiple perspectives. This process requires students to think critically about the content, characters, and overarching lessons within the book. Save Me a Seat has sparked meaningful conversations around immigration, schooling, equity, friendship, and integrity. After conferencing in their small groups, the whole class comes together to share key takeaways, address any lingering questions or discussion points, and share perspectives and insights. 

This depth-over-breadth approach to reading teaches students to not rush through a book for the sake of finishing it and moving on, but to engage with the book meaningfully - to both enjoy it and learn from it. Especially in the age of high-volume social media consumption, helping children foster an appreciation for the joy, richness, and learning that can come with the patient immersion of a book is invaluable - a mindset that will benefit them long after they leave the classroom.