Optional Freebie:

Click here to hear me read this book aloud to your students.

Friends, you will be AMAZED at the level of student engagement using these cards! I love using them SO much!

• Increased reading comprehension is the goal of this resource.
• This strategy is powerful in giving students opportunities to work together in mixed-ability, student-led groups. Lower level students benefit from listening to higher level students respond to questions. Higher level students are challenged to express their thinking in a way that helps lower level students comprehend the material. Peer tutoring at its finest!
• Discussions are guided by students’ responses to what they have read. This approach provides a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books. Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Students reshape and add to their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers.
• The Discussion Cards have questions from each chapter prompting students to cite evidence from the text and take their thinking to a deeper level.

Easy set up! Laminate cards, cut apart, staple together at the top, perfect size to store in a library pocket inside book cover until ready for discussions. Students come to discussions prepared to discuss assigned chapters or chapters read aloud by the teacher. This works well with a group of 4-6 students at a round table. Students can each have a question packet or pass one packet around to read questions and listen to each student respond. Answer key is provided should students need to refer to it if they get stuck. Usually, students will arrive at and agree on the correct response through discourse and citing text evidence. I choose one student to entrust with the answer key with instructions to only use it once they have an agreed upon answer or they get stuck. This is great instant feedback!

The Science of Reading includes student discussions as a component of effective reading instruction. It emphasizes the importance of language development and comprehension, which are facilitated through interactive discussions about texts. Engaging in text-based discussions helps students actively understand and process the meaning of what they are reading. Discussions allow students to clarify their understanding, connect ideas, and analyze different perspectives. 

Perfect for:

· Small-group learning

· Improving speaking and listening skills

· Literature Circles

· Book Clubs

· Self-evaluation

· Socratic learning

What I love most about using the cards with my students: I love so many things about them but I especially love how they get all serious about their discussions when they have the little clipboard questions in their hands. It makes them feel official, like the little scholars they are. I love listening in to their discussions as a facilitator or when they don't know I'm listening. Their discussions amaze me with some thoughts they come up with. It is amazing to hear them build knowledge through discourse with peers.