A standard teaching option for all Language Arts teachers is the study of the novel. Novels are the curriculum in all grades from Grade 3 to Senior High. By using novel study guides teachers have the help and support they need to introduce the novel to their students in an appropriate way. Through a novel study a teacher can promote an appreciation for literature in their students. Such teacher's resources help increase vocabulary increases and comprehension skills. There are some ideas to keep in mind when you are looking for a novel study that's suitable for your students.
Try to choose a novel for the content, reading level and subject matter from the list provided in the cirriculum. It must appeal to your students in different ways while following the curriculum guidelines for your English department. The best choice for novel study is something that will connect with your students, something that has current events or recent award winners. The student will connect with this easily at home and in their everyday lives.
When you choose a novel for use in the Language Arts classroom, think about its literary value and if you're doing more than one novel study a year try something that is a classic. It's amazing how this will challenge your students and make them think at a higher level. You can get your students to discuss the main characters of the novel and what is going on in the world when the story takes place. This discussion can be done with the class involved, it will peak their interest.
The novel package should have vocabulary for each chapter with an essay section and comprehension questions, you can use the essay section to help the students find the connection between the novel and their own lives. Let them make predictions as to what will happen next and synthehesize information from each chapter.
You can test your students on their knowledge by assigning projects; you can use the portfolio method throughout your study. Have your students do their own writing where they can use their own thoughts and writing to go along with the novel. Children can include photos for illustration; write short stories, poetry, slogans, and summaries. The possibilities of inspiring creativity in your students are almost endless when you use novel study guides to help you plan your lessons. The reproducible sheets and activities do not require any work on your part- all you have to do is photocopy them for your students. For more info go to www.squidoo.com/novel studyguides.
