Discussion Guidelines
(AKA How to Treat Each Other Nicely)
One of the great things about reading is that we will share similar interpretations of texts, but we will also have different opinions, too. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to disagree respectfully.
Please know that I never expect anyone to pretend they love a book if they don’t. Honestly, the best discussions about literature happen when some folks love the book and others don’t.
During our meetings, please follow these guidelines:
Use I statements instead of YOU statements.
When discussing literature, I want our 3rd - 5th students to learn how to refer to parts in the book that support their ideas and opinions. Ideally, parents and students come to class with a few key parts annotated in their books (see the section called How to Annotate Books for Our Meeting). However, don’t stress about this. Learning how to support our ideas and opinions with evidence is a new skill for many people. No one needs to come to Family of Readers knowing how to do this already. Before our meetings, I do a lot of prep and can hopefully find those juicy quotes for participants as needed.
Parents, please monitor the chat while we’re in Zoom. If needed, I will turn off the chat, but I think it’s also fun if we have big thoughts about our book as long as it’s not distracting.
Finally, please let me know if any subjects covered in a book are sensitive for you or your child. All participants have the right to pass during discussions.