Provide the student with pencil, paper for notes and a blank elementary school book report form for the child to organize basic book information.
Have the child identify the title and author of the book, main characters, setting -- including time and place -- sequence of events and her favorite part of the story. Write the information on a sheet of paper or book report form for easy consulting.
Help the child construct a basic research paper based on the book information gathered on the form. Encourage full, complete sentences.
Review the report draft together, correcting any mistakes or revising as necessary. Reports that are one to two paragraphs long will fit nicely on poster board.
Place the poster board face up and vertically on a table or work surface.
Use a pencil and ruler to lightly draw a straight, horizontal lines across the top of the poster board, two to four inches down from the top.
Use the pencil and ruler to draw straight, horizontal lines across the rest of the poster board, starting two inches below the top title line. Space lines one inch apart down to the bottom of the poster board, leaving a two- to four-inch margin around the outer edges of the poster board.
In pencil, write the title of the report and the student's name on the top title line, centered.
Have your child write her report on the pencil guidelines you provided.
Check to make sure there are no errors and then use a marker or crayon to trace over the words, including the title and student's name.
Color the poster board margins with pictures or designs that relate to the report.