Reading Groups

Reading Groups - A Great Way to Share Books and Make Friends

Millions of people have discovered the pleasure of belonging to reading groups. Reading groups give people a chance to meet regularly to discuss books and share their enjoyment of reading. They may meet at a community center, workplace, library, school, or private home.

Belonging to reading groups not only nurtures your child's love of reading; they can also provide opportunities to social and make new friends. Discussing what he reads and listening to the views of others will strengthen his reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. He will learn to support his opinions with examples from the text and hear about other books he may want to read.

Reading groups for children may be available at your child's school or at the public library. If not, the school and the library may have information on reading groups in your area. You can also check with a community center or an area bookstore to see if reading groups meet there. Online you can check postings at services like www.craigslist.org, or you can post a notice that you are looking for reading groups.

Make sure the reading group your child joins has clear guidelines, including a method for selecting appropriate books, regular and dependable meeting times, and rules about conduct. Reading groups should have adult supervision and leadership. Observe the group to make sure that discussions include everyone and that no one's ideas or opinions are devalued.

If no groups are available in your area, you can join forces with parents, teachers, and school librarians to start one. Talk to the staff at your public library and offer to supervise a group there.

You might start a family reading group. One time a week, you can gather to discuss a book you are all reading together as a family. With younger readers, you can read aloud and then discuss the book. You can expand to include friends, neighbors, and relatives.

Consider starting an email group with friends and relatives. Your child will enjoy receiving emails from his cousins or a friend who moved away. Email reading groups provide practice in writing, and writing about a book sharpens comprehension.

You can find help online with locating and starting reading group. Visit the Reading Maniacs, a mother-daughter group whose website includes suggestions on starting a group. You can also find information on reading groups at Book Browse.