The Page Turners' Book Club

The Page Turners' Book Club promotes literacy and social-emotional competence by providing opportunities to respond to literature through experiential, authentic activities.  Page Turners incorporates all aspects of literacy learning:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  Each club is designed to engage children in social situations in the context of  a shared reading experience.

Classes are held on Tuesdays from 4:00-5:00 at Dilworth Methodist Church. Classes begin on September 18 and last for 6 weeks. Children will be separated into two age groups, 4-5 year olds and 6-8 year olds.

Who attends this class?

The Page Turners' Book Clubs are designed for children who attend a variety of educational settings including regular education, home schooling or self-contained language or cross-categorical classes. Many children are struggling in one or more of the following areas: writing, reading, language development, social skills, following directions, maintaining attention / focus, science, social studies. Children without known speech and language delays are welcome to attend.

Children must be able to participate in group tasks with minimal assistance. The Speech Garden reserves the right to exclude children after a trial basis (when a child consistently disturbs group or interferes with learning of others) and refund payments on a prorated amount.

Parents are welcome to stay and participate in each session with their child.  Alternatively, parents and siblings may drop off and return at dismissal.  There are places on and around the church campus to wait.  

How is this class structured?

Eight children may attend each class.  Each day will start with an activity that focuses on the Social Communication Skill of the Day.  After reading the book, we will explore the different elements of a story including the sequence of events, the characters and setting, as well as the problem and solution.  To facilitate integrating language, literacy and social communication skills, group activities that connect to the book will follow.

What language skills might be addressed?

Social Language (Pragmatics):

•             How to approach children to be included in a group

•             How to interact in a group using turn taking in conversation, sharing and     cooperating

•             How to deal with differences

•             How to manage conflict through problem solving

•             Developing a ‘feeling’ vocabulary

•             Eye contact

Language:

•             Formulating sentences of increasing length and complexity

•             Responding to concrete and abstract questions (who, what, where, when, how, why)

•             Following directions

•             Increasing vocabulary

•             Retelling a narrative incorporating the story structure elements

•             Attending to speakers and stories

•             Connect information and events to personal experiences by sharing or commenting

•             Speak clearly; articulation and fluency

Academic Skills:

•             Visualize, represent and sequence an understanding of text

•             Connect information or ideas to text to prior knowledge and experience

•             Self-monitoring strategies through responding to commenting or questioning

•             Identify and describe characters

•             Retell or re-enact events from a story

•             Developing sight words

•             Phonological awareness skills

•             Reading at the word, sentence or discourse level

•             Writing skills (sound/symbol association, word, sentences, or discourse level

What activities are used to meet goals?

Songs, role playing and cooperative activities are used to facilitate social communication skills. Literacy skills are developed through reading and experiencing a book as a group.  By writing, scripting, and performing the book by the group, language therapy can be individualized to meet each child’s needs within an authentic learning experience. 

Why a Book Club?

A book club offers the opportunity to integrate the skills needed to support language and literacy development.  Shared reading allows for children to enjoy and connect to what they are reading with peers.  By incorporating group activities that relate to our shared reading, social communication skills can be focused on within a meaningful setting. 

What strategies are taught?

Verbal / silent rehearsal

Visual imagery

Asking for clarification

Listening / attending strategies

Requesting assistance

Visual organizers

Who teaches your classes?

Classes are taught by highly experienced, certified speech-language pathologists.

How do newly-learned skills transfer to other settings?

Following each session, parents are given written details on each lesson and activity of the session.  Homework activities will be available to facilitate generalization of social communication and literacy skills.