Different Ways to Do Book Reports
While book reports are traditionally short and simple papers that let students show they've read a book, there's no requirement that book reports always take this form. Book reports can be done in a variety of ways that push students to do more thoughtful work and to get more out of the experience. These kinds of book reports are more interesting to students, classmates and teachers.
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Cover the Basics
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A primary purpose of the book report is often to confirm that students have actually read the book, rather than the educational value of actually writing the book report. While simply asking students to summarize a book and reflect on how they felt about it allows teachers to do this, and also provide a chance for students to practice their writing, there are more creative ideas for book reports. These options still confirm that students have done their work, but also encourage them to think more deeply and creatively about their reading.
Branching Out
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There are dozens of ways that students can write about a book. They can focus on the characters, story or setting or write about their favorite or least favorite aspects. They can also be more imaginative, with an assignment to write an interview with a character, to write a new scene of the book or to write about what gift they would buy each of the main characters. Book reports also are not limited to writing. Students could work on drawings or oral presentations. For some kinds of books, students might also create maps or diagrams.
Letting Students Follow Their Interests
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Teachers do not need to come up with all the ideas for book report assignments. They can encourage students to get interested in their work by encouraging them to come up with a project they're excited about. Students will be much happier to do more work and will produce work that is more impressive when they actually care about the assignments for their own value, instead of doing them just because it's required. A student who loves comics books might be interested in adapting a favorite scene of the book into a comic. Another student might want to make a movie. Students can find ways to connect the reading to other art forms, activities and subjects of interest.
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