Through award-winning and high-interest trade books like The Hundred Dresses and Because of Winn-Dixie, students will participate in student-led book discussions. They will be able to choose the books that most interest them to read with a partner and/or on their own. Then prepare for weekly book discussion groups or literature circles. These weekly meetings will be a place to not only discuss the story or content of the book, but also a place to share their reactions, thoughts, and questions about characters and story lines.
Finding themselves in the books' characters or having strong emotional reactions to literature creates a love for the written word. It creates opportunities for "life-changing lessons" (LCLs as stated in Dave Burgess' Teach Like a Pirate). Lessons that students uncover themselves, with a little guidance and coaching, will stick with them long after those driven by mandated content.
Engagement in literature with rich vocabulary and compelling characters will also encourage students as writers. They can emulate the author's craft in their own writings. Getting a sense of story structure will add their their writing toolkit.
About my class
Through award-winning and high-interest trade books like The Hundred Dresses and Because of Winn-Dixie, students will participate in student-led book discussions. They will be able to choose the books that most interest them to read with a partner and/or on their own. Then prepare for weekly book discussion groups or literature circles. These weekly meetings will be a place to not only discuss the story or content of the book, but also a place to share their reactions, thoughts, and questions about characters and story lines.
Finding themselves in the books' characters or having strong emotional reactions to literature creates a love for the written word. It creates opportunities for "life-changing lessons" (LCLs as stated in Dave Burgess' Teach Like a Pirate). Lessons that students uncover themselves, with a little guidance and coaching, will stick with them long after those driven by mandated content.
Engagement in literature with rich vocabulary and compelling characters will also encourage students as writers. They can emulate the author's craft in their own writings. Getting a sense of story structure will add their their writing toolkit.