Book Tasting

 On the 5th day of 5th Grade I like to celebrate making it through the first week of school.  The last couple of years I've hosted a Book Tasting in my room on that morning.  It's pretty easy set up, and it's really the first "taste" of what I hope are memorable activities for the year.

I use Joanne Miller's (Head Over Heels for Teaching) Book Tasting product.  It has all the print outs I need to set up the tables.  (To be honest, it has everything I need to have my sons set up the tables before the kids come in that morning.)  With parents' Back to School night always the night before, there is NO WAY to get everything done early by myself - especially if I have morning yard duty.

Here's my shopping list for those extra things:
*plastic table cloth for each table
*small battery operated candle per table
That's it.  When the kids get in there, and the books are on the table, well there really isn't that much room for decorations.

Quick set up:
1.  Tablecloth on the tables.
2. Candle turned on in the center.
3. Placemat at each seat (I have the kids write books they want to read directly on the plate portion of the placemat - it's included in the product.)
4.  Label the tables with a number and a genre type. (They are included in the product.)
5. Stack of books (10ish) at each table.  My classroom library is grouped by genre, so it's easy to just grab a stack from each to set in the middle of the table.
6.  Project the Book Tasting Today sign (saves some ink).
7.  Turn on some instrumental quiet music.
8.  As kids enter the room, stand in the doorway with an apron and (this next year a chef's hat) with the included reservation form.

During the Tasting:
*We start out the tasting by reviewing the different genres that are featured.  I get a little background information from them to see what they already know (or think they know).

*I wander around watching them read - noticing who dives directly into a book, who is barely sticking their toe in... so much to notice about a new batch of readers every year.  I ask them questions about the books they are looking at, what they notice, and what genres they have liked to read.  It gets them set up for our Reading Conferences later on in the year.

*I time them for about 10 minutes per table, and then we rotate through so they can experience all the genres.  They take their placemat and pencil with them as they move to write more books down.

*Near the end I pass out the reflection paper (included in her product) and have them give me some feedback.

*Then for clean up, the classroom library is open for business.  Students can look at their placemat and go and get the books they are interested in reading.  They slide their placemat into their classwork folders in a sheet protector to save for future, and they help me put the remaining books back into the book shelf.  I give them a few minutes to get more of a certain genre for their desk.  I want each kid to have 2 books at their desk to read at all times.

*An idea I have for this year is to add a stack of post it notes to each table during the tasting.  I'm thinking that if kids see a book they are interested in, then they could write on a post it -

"Give next to:"
and then add their name and stick it in the front cover of the book.  Many kids may write their name on that single post it as they are looking at the books during the Book Tasting, but when kids are done reading a book during the school year then they know who is next in line to give the book to.  I may try it and see what happens.

It's a fun activity and I hope that you try it out too this year!

Hope this helps!