Head Coach How-Tos
Getting Started:
Find four- six kids to form a team! Any fourth or fifth grader in Northern Michigan is eligible to participate.Find kids to particpate at school, extra-curricular activities, neighborhood, church, etc, and if you need help finding team members, contact our Team Coordinator.
Register yourself as the Team Head Coach.
Registration is open now.
Keep yourself organized! Mark your calendar now for Book Handout, Coaches Meetings, and Important Dates. Remind/help parents to register their child.
Registration opens at 3 pm on December 15, 2024.
For the team to be registered, four kids and Team Head Coach must be registered.
Make a plan for the time and location of your team meetings.
Submit your Team Name. Team names are due on February 7, 2025. A link to provide your team name will be in Battle Report #2.
How to have successful team meetings:
Build Team Spirit!
Brainstorm a fun team name together.
Pick a special color or clothing item to wear as a team.
On Tournament Day, bring your team’s Coat of Arms.
Encourage & Reward Your Team
Use praise and small rewards to recognize when each book is finished and when readers give good ideas and answers.
Provide snacks.
Play a game or just have some social time after the meeting.
Keep it fun and make happy memories!
Team Activity Ideas
Initial meetings should focus on team building and general book discussions.
Build enthusiasm by allowing the students to share their thoughts on the books.
Utilize team building games, more team building games, icebreakers, book club icebreakers, and games & icebreakers for virtual meetings to help team members bond and get to know each other.
Schedule time for choosing your team name, creating your Coat of Arms poster, and deciding on a costume.
Plan fun activities as part of your meeting – take a hike, go sledding, attend a library event, play a board game, etc. Or utilize these activities or these resources for some ideas.
Question Prep
Begin the process of preparing questions similar to the ones used in competition. Questions are all factual, not interpretive. Here are some examples.
Teams will not be provided prep questions on the books. Teams must prepare their own.
Encourage team members and their families to write questions to assist with prep.
Instead of prepping questions, focus on key events and details during group discussions.
Getting Familiar with the Books
Write CliffsNotes” versions of the books.
Create outlines of the books/plot diagrams.
Practice matching the author’s name with the title of their book and book characters with the book title.
Utilize flashcards, a notebook, or a shared spreadsheet to write and collect questions on the books.
Visit online resources such as author websites, podcasts, and educational handouts on the books to engage team members in the books.
Learn proper author pronunciation by visiting this website.
Quiz Ideas for Book Questions
Split your team up to battle each other (4th vs. 5th graders, dog lovers vs. cat lovers, coaches vs. team).
Modify games like Tic Tac Toe, Bingo, Twister, and Red Light/Green Light and allow team members to advance or play if they answer a question correctly.
Utilize fun quiz games such as Kahoot and Quizlet.
Most Importantly, Get to Know Your Team!
Flex your coaching style to your team’s motivation and interest levels.
Manage expectations to accommodate highly competitive and less competitive team members.
Capitalize on team member strengths through special “jobs” (Timekeeper, Notetaker, etc.)
Every team is different. Some are in it to win it from the start, some begin as simply happy go lucky and end up getting competitive, and some are just here for the fun and to enjoy new books. There’s no wrong way to be a Battle of the Books team, as long as the kids are reading and enjoying it! Identify your team’s personality and design your team meetings to suit their needs.