Daily Independent Reading (DIR) and Book Reports

Every day, we start class with 10 minutes of silent reading. Students can read anything s/he want to as long as s/he are reading. It is a calming way to start each class period. In addition, it allows student choice, encourages good reading habits, and establishes routine. 

After DIR, I have students fill in a double sided reading log. On the front is a quick summary of what was read, on the back is a daily grammar skill bell ringer. 

I'm constantly changing the grammar skill on the back based on the pace each class needs. I've changed it every semester so far, and I would suggest the same. Here are some of the ones I've used in the past. 

DIR #1	DIR # 7
DIR #2	DIR #8
DIR #3	DIR #9
DIR #4	DIR #10
DIR #5	DIR #11
DIR #5.5	DIR #12
DIR #6	DIR #13

Book Talk Invite

Also, I have students complete a PowerPoint presentation for Book Talk day. I've tried several versions of this assignment including projects (students choose from list), etc. I've had the best results from this assignment. Here are the requirements.