CLUB
Teacher’s Page

The central goal of FACS By the Book is to foster a passion for reading in FACS students by providing them with fun, interesting and unique experiences with really good books. I hope that after checking out the other sections of this website you are considering emphasizing reading in your FACS program.

You may have decided to incorporate reading into your existing FACS curriculum using some of the resources you found on this or other websites. You may simply choose to offer students the opportunity to read a book for extra credit. Perhaps you’re considering building reading into your FCCLA program. Only you can determine the best approach with your students. What’s important is that we begin today to encourage our students to read, read, read!

If the options presented above don’t seem to fit your circumstances, you might consider forming a chapter of the FACS By The Book Club as an extracurricular activity associated with your program. Each month we will suggest a novel that has some link to the FACS curriculum for you and your students to read. Students will read on their own time and meet once a month to discuss the book that they’ve read. The club can be as structured or casual as you choose. The purpose is to encourage students to read at least one book a month and to share the pleasures of reading with their fellow club members.

You will find many resources for organizing and managing your chapter of the FACS By The Book Club on this website. However, many of the decisions about your book club will need to be made within your own memberships. A few things to consider are:

• Where will you meet? Will you meet at school or in an alternative location?

• When and how often will you meet? Monthly meetings are recommended, but you and your students may make another choice.

• How structured do you want your FACS By The Book Club chapter to be? Do you want to elect officers? If so what positions do you need and what will their responsibilities be?

• How long will your meetings be?

• Who will lead the discussions? Will you as the teacher lead or will members take turns?

• Besides discussing the book that you’ve read, what other activities do you plan to do? Will there be refreshments served?

• How will members be notified of meeting dates, times, location? Will you use email, IM, Facebook, telephone or other communication methods?

For some great ideas for organizing a book club, go to the website http://litlovers.com/litmisc.htm This is a wonderful resource where you’ll find ideas for everything from recipes to craft activities and games that will enhance your book club experience.

Each month when we post the new book selection for the FACS By The Book Club, we will share ideas for making your book club meeting fun and interesting. We also invite you to email us ideas and activities that you would like to share with other FACS By The Book Club chapters. We’ll be happy to post photos, recipes, activities, links and any other information you think other chapters would find interesting or useful. The important thing is to keep the meetings fun so that students will stay interested and involved.

Connecting community service to your FACS By The Book Club chapter activities can add a valuable dimension to the reading experience. It would be wise to solicit suggestions from your students when choosing a community service project. Some possibilities to consider are:

• Tutoring young children in your community.

• Conduct a story hour at your local public library.

• Read to elderly shut-ins or someone who is visually impaired.

• Sponsor a bake sale and donate the proceeds to your local library

• Coordinate a book swap.

As you gauge the interest among your students for forming a FACS By The Book Club, you may direct them to the FACS By The Book Club Student’s Page of this website. There they will find general information about the club and a preview of a few upcoming book club selections. For additional information about the FACS By The Book Club, email me at Ramona@freshfacs.com.