How to run a reading group

Off the cuff thoughts on running reading groups.

Reading groups run as “we’ll just meet every two weeks and discuss” usually don’t work. Sometimes they’re OK for 2–3 sessions, but then the group and the discussions generally fizzle out. Here are two simple ideas for providing a little more structure to support the reading group beyond the initial excitement.

Mode 1: I learned/liked/loathed. Everyone reads the next chapter (in the case of a book club) or paper (in the case of a paper club) and prepares at least one thing they learned, one thing they liked, and one thing they loathed (or disagreed with). If you haven’t prepared, you cannot attend. At the beginning of the session, go around the room and have everyone present their learned/liked/loathed (maximum one minute per person), then discuss.

Mode 2: nominate a presenter. In every session of the reading group, one person is on the hook for giving a short talk (5–10mins) on the current paper or book chapter. Others can attend without preparation, even though you’ll obviously get a better discussion when several people have read the material in advance. Nominate the next presenter at the end of the session. If you cannot find a presenter, discontinue the reading group.

Mode 1 is more appropriate for smaller groups (think 4–6 people) and requires more consistent preparation and commitment. Since attendees have to develop opinions on the material (rather than just passively consuming it), you often get very high quality discussions. Mode 2 is more appropriate for larger groups (5–10) and also works when not everyone has time time to prepare every session.

Happy reading!

PS: The next reading group I’m running at Helsing will cover A Philosophy of Software Design.