Teach Your Child to Write a Book Report

Book reports are a large part of a child’s grade in their writing grade through grade school. In fact, children will have over 50 book reports to write throughout their twelve years of education years. Teachers don’t normally start to give children book reports until they are well into their 3rd and 4th grade years.

Although book reports are not given until later in the years they spend through elementary, there is no reason why they can’t learn the basics of how to write a book report early on. The following tips will help your children understand the mechanics of a book report and how to write one, setting them up for the years they will need to write a book report.

Preschool
Preschoolers love stories, read one of your favorite or their favorite books to your child. Once you have finished reading to your child ask them questions about the main character, the protagonist (if there is one in the story), the story plot, and reasoning questions. “Why do you think (the main character) did what he/she did? What would you have don differently/the same? How would you have handled the situation? Did the story make you feel happy or sad?”

After you and your child discus the book give them an “oral book report Eon the book. Explain what a book report is and give them a sample of a book report. The following nights read the book once again to your child, but this time have your child give you the “oral book report Epraising them throughout.

Main points to address:

• Read a book to your child.
• Have them give you an oral report.

Grades K-3rd
Family history and information from the past is lots of fun to learn about. Together you and your child can write a family autobiography. This will be a great time to sit your child down and teach them how to write an outline for a book report. Such as the one below:

Book Report Outline

1. Title of Book
2. Author
3. Illustrator
4. Name the main characters and give a brief description of each character.
5. Who was your favorite character? Why?
6. Who was your least favorite character? Why?
7. Write a short description of the story.
8. How did you like the conclusion? Talk about how the story ended.
9. What did you like or Dislike about this story?

For an autobiography, of course, the questions above will need to be tailored to your family as apposed to it being a book report. With an autobiography you’ll need to answer only three things: who the person is, what are the details of their life and what if their outlook on life?

When they are to the age that they are reading on their own, you can still have them provide you with an oral report. This is always the best way of creating a book report.

Main points to address:

• Write an autobiography together.
• Have them read books at home and give you an oral report.

Grades 4th-6th
When your children have a book report assigned to them and they have read the book, talk to your child about the book. What was the most exciting part of the book? Who was their favorite character and why? You can use the outline, above, to help them generate ideas for the book.

Once they have finished the first draft of their book report read it over with them. What are they missing? Go through the entire draft of the report with your child, again, asking questions about the report and what they are missing.

Main points to address:

• Talk to your child about their book report assignment.
• Read the book report with them; ask them the questions you might have about the story.

Resources
Resources that can help you in your venture include:

• Love to Learn – http://www.lovetolearnplace.com
• Kids On the Net – http://www.kidsonthenet.org.uk
• Think Quest – http://library.thinkquest.org

Posted in Education.

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