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There are so many incredibly engaging, rigorous end-of-novel projects and assessments out there for students to create based on the whole novel. But what about during the novel? Whether it’s a whole-class novel unit, a small group literature circle, or an independent novel, most students need some sort of accountability for
- Choose a Book. What Book Will You Teach? Why? Some districts will outline what text to teach in their curriculum or pacing guide. Some districts will allow teachers the freedom to choose their novels.
- Decide on Skills to Teach. What Skills Will You Teach? What is the book’s purpose?
- Add Resources. I love this part! It is like adding the seasoning during cooking. I am constantly on the lookout for mentor texts to talk about with my students, books that I can book talk, and other writing in a variety of genres that can provide meaningful connections.
- Formative Assessments. How Will I Assess Knowledge While Reading? In my post, “Ways to Conquer Three Types of Assessments (So, I'm Not Taking Papers Home)” I talk about many different ways I assess students during instruction (formative) and after instruction is over (summative).
- 1- Text Selection
- 2- Introduction Activity
- 3 – Comprehension Questions
- 4- Word Work
- 5- Character Analysis
- 6- Elements of Literature
- 7- Writing About Reading
Perhaps the most important part of planning a novel study involves text selection. Choosing the right book for your learners can make all the difference. With an ever evolving list of new titles and authors to explore, as well as the traditional classics, it can be quite overwhelming to pick the right book. When choosing books for my learners, I li...
After you have carefully chosen your novel, it is time to start planning a way to introduce it to you learners. This helps to build anticipation and get kids excited about the book. For a comprehensive approach to this phase, consider utilizing ourNovel Study Planning Framework, which offers structured activities and ideas for introduction.
Comprehension questions are an important part of any novel study. They allow students to show that they understand what they are reading and provide excellent classroom discussion opportunities. That being said, giving students mountains of questions can really kill reading enjoyment. In my experience, providing students with 3-5 questions per chap...
Novels are great ways to introduce students to new vocabulary. Providing opportunities for students to learn and use there new words is an important piece of any novel study. Seeing the words in context helps students to infer meaning, and working with the words really helps them to “stick”. To see this in action with a specific novel, check out ou...
In order to fully comprehend a novel, students need practice with character analysis. Understanding what motivates a character and makes them who they are is an important part of the reading process. Through in depth analysis, students learn to connect with characters, see how they develop and change over time, and recognize how they impact a story...
A novel study is a great opportunity to review the elements of literature. When planning your novel study, be sure to incorporate activities focused on key elements like plot, setting, point of view, and conflict. Looking for some activities to review the elements of literature and incorporate into your next novel study? You can grab my complete El...
Quiet time for reflecting and writing is a key component of a successful novel study. Through writing about reading, students are able to share their personal connections, understandings, and insights. While class discussions can be powerful, students sometimes feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings independently and in written f...
- CURRICULUM MAPPING. Before you start penciling in all of these engaging activities, sit down to map out the “big picture.” Amanda Cardenas from Mud and Ink Teaching says that the first thing she does for every novel unit is get a clear picture of what direction the map for the unit is.
- LEARNING STATIONS. Learning stations will enhance your novel units in ways that traditional whole-class teaching just can’t! Searching for a engaging pre-reading activity to preview setting, characters, and context?
- ONE-PAGERS. A one-pager is a creative response to reading that students enjoy and that doesn’t take teachers eons to grade. But it must be scaffolded for many students.
- “WHAT STUCK WITH YOU?” ACTIVITY WITH STICKY NOTES. Need a quick engaging activity or informal assessment? Grab the sticky notes! Lauralee from the Language Arts Classroom asks her students to find what is meaningful or what has “stuck” with them regarding the novel.
- Novel Task Cards. For this activity, students work in groups and move around the room to visit different task stations that challenge them to analyze the text through different lenses.
- Novel Theme Park Project. For this project, students work in a group to design a theme park based upon the literary elements of a selected novel. The various aspects of the park from the layout to the rides to the characters should be inspired by the novel.
- Book Headlines.
- Character Instagram.
Sep 2, 2023 · Many classrooms and homeschooled students participate in novel studies and all students learn how to read independently. Incorporating and tying in different types of activities that students can complete during reading a novel or after finishing it will allow your students to express …
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Mini-Lesson #1: Elements of Plot. → I begin by embedding videos, examples, and short little story scenarios into the basic vocabulary lesson that students need to feel comfortable using when they read, speak, or write about elements of fiction.
