Catering to Grade 4 Readers

Book A Spot Bistro opened in October for Grade 4 students. Dressed as waiters, Grade 4 teacher Marcus Leslie and Lower School Librarian Paula Zamora Gonzalez served up a range of literary genres and titles to their “diners,” who were offered a selection of books tailored to their reading taste buds. At the Bistro, each guest had time to explore a cover, dip into the pages, and write a brief review about each book from their bespoke menu. Was the temperature to their liking? Did it need more seasoning? Would they like a second helping? Students selected their favorite book from the menu, using it as the basis for learning reading comprehension strategies and participating in small group conversations. Marcus comments, “This created a fun and engaging context for differentiated learning through increased student choice based on interest and reading level. Book A Spot Bistro will open again in 2023 for another literary degustation!”