Reading Checks

[Mrs. K.]

Originally Posted by HeartDrama

Mrs. K, I don't want to exclusively do quizzes because I do want them to think about the text on a deeper level. Sure the subsequent class discussion or activity should get them thinking, but covering it in the reading check would save me a good 5 minutes of class time.

I understand that, but my feeling is that there's no way they're going to think about the text on a deeper level unless they've actually read it! The quiz takes less than 5 minutes, and I can spend the rest of the period working on that deeper level by close reading, making connections to additional nonfiction readings, etc. I don't do this with every novel, by the way.

[readingrules12]

What's wrong with a quick quiz? I have a powerpoint with multiple-choice questions for each chapter, and I give five question quizzes to each class period.


Yes!!

Quick quizzes are the best to know quickly whether they read or not. I give 5 question M/C quizzes on novels regularly and these quizzes quickly show who is reading and who isn't. Those who aren't doing the reading often get e-mails or calls home. I find parents are very cooperative when they know exactly what the problem is.

[mopar]

I would look up his one-pagers. They are good tools to use in addition to other methods.

So glad that you are using a worthwhile book in your college prep courses. I can't tell you how many times I wished we had used books by key people in the field instead of textbooks that tried to cram in too much.

[Brendan]

I'm not a huge fan of reading quizzes, but however, I do expect students to be prepared for class discussions and activities. Generally, my students have some sort of assignment to prove that they read. This could be reading notes with terms, reading questions, or some sort of mini-project. I feel that these are much more useful, in that they assess that students both did the reading and they can be used as study materials later on. Keep in mind though, even when I assign novels, they are usually non-fiction.