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Things to do before the discussion
- Read the book: This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets.
- Write down important page numbers: If there are parts of the book that made an impact on you or that you think may come up in discussion, write down the page numbers so that you can access the passages easily while preparing and leading your book club discussion.
- Do some research: Check out other information about the book, the authors, or anything mentioned in the book. You can use these materials to help write additional questions, or provide more context you can offer during the discussion if participants have questions.
Tips about question asking
- Reactions: Discussion questions don't have to be questions. Feel free to read a quote/passage and ask participants for their reactions or responses.
- Don't be afraid to get personal: Sometimes the easiest way to engage with a book is to find a personal connection. Ask participants how the book impacts their lives or how they are similar or different from a character or the author.
- Round robin: For some discussion questions, ask each person around the circle to respond to the group. This can help ensure that all people participate equally.
- Don't feel obligated to get through all the questions: The best questions sometimes lead to intense conversations. That's a good thing! The questions are there as a guide. While you will want to get through at least three or four questions, it will probably be rare that you finish all ten. Respect people's time by wrapping up the discussion when the meeting time is over rather than pushing on until you finish everything you planned.
Tips for leading the discussion
- Easy Start: Start with each other's names. You could start with an icebreaker or a question everyone can/must answer. This allows the group to warm up and encourages people to speak up. You might also use name tag stickers or little table tent names. This will allow you to invite a discussion member into the conversation or refer to a previous comment using the person's name. For book-related icebreaker ideas, see: http://www.litlovers.com/run-a-book-club/games-a-icebreakers
- “Think time”: After asking a discussion question, allow ample time for people to think and respond voluntarily. Allow more time than might feel comfortable at first. Research shows that many teachers only allow 1-3 seconds of “think time”. Allowing 3 or more seconds has been shown to increase length of people’s responses, and increase number of people who voluntarily respond (without being called upon).
- Set ground rules for discussion: For example, all participants can agree to listen and consider each others' comments before responding. No interrupting. Or acknowledge that everyone may have different experiences or emotional reactions to the book and we need to respect them. Or even acknowledge that though the book is set in an historical time period, these issues and concerns may still impact some participants today. These can help set the stage for the discussion.
- Let others answer first: When you are asking questions, you want to facilitate discussion, not come off as a teacher. By letting others in the book club answer first, you will promote conversation and help everyone feel like their opinions matter.
- Make connections between comments: If someone gives an answer to question 2 that connects well with question 5, don't feel obligated to ask questions 3 and 4 before moving to 5. You are the leader and you can go in whatever order you want. Even if you go in order, try to find a link between an answer and the next question. By connecting people's comments to the questions, you'll help build momentum in the conversation.
- Occasionally direct questions toward quiet people: You don't want to put anyone on the spot, but you want everyone to know their opinions are valued. If you have a few talkative people who always jump right in, directing a question to a specific person may help draw out the quieter people (and let the loud people know it is time to give someone else a turn)..
- Rein in tangents: Book clubs are popular not only because people like to read, but also because they are great social outlets. A little off topic conversation is fine, but you also want to respect the fact that people have read the book and expect to talk about it. As the facilitator, it is your job to recognize tangents and bring the discussion back to the book.
