TOPICS:  Reading, Novels, Reading Comprehension, Reading Strategies, Vocabulary, ESL, Reflection, and Discussion

STRUGGLING OR RELUCTANT READER?  This class is ideal for students to do not enjoy reading, who struggle to read at grade level, or who have trouble with reading comprehension.   

ESL LEARNER? This class is also suitable for students who are learning English as a second language.   

STYLE OF READING INSTRUCTION: During my years of classroom teaching I have found that guided "reading miles" along with targeted reading strategy lessons are the best ways to develop and improve reading skills for students in the 4th - 6th grade band. 

My approach to reading encourages 5 daily practices:  Reading to Self, Reading to Someone, Vocabulary Word Study, Listening to Reading, and Reflecting on Reading through Writing.  Guided novel studies encourage all 5 of these practices to occur each time we meet. 

In addition to guided novel reading, we will focus on improving reading skills through the teaching of specific reading strategies that target Comprehension, Decoding, Fluency, and Vocabulary.  The specific skill building will be based on individual student needs.  

For the writing component, students will be required to keep a reading journal which will be written in during class and after each reading session.  Students will write 1-3 paragraphs summarizing their reading each day.   This task is key in helping students overcome common reading pitfalls such as reading and forgetting what was read, or having confusion over characters, setting, or events.  Additionally, this helps students with recall, reflection, and metacognition (thinking about their own thinking). 

MEETING AGENDA: 
5 min -  Book Introduction or Review of previous chapters
30-40 min - Guided Reading with intervention/instruction as needed
5-10 min - Novel study and reflection questions, Summary Journaling

📚NOVEL STUDY: I prefer to use shared novels which provide students with an authentic reading experience.   This also allows students to choose books that truly interest them.  During class, the teacher and student will take turns reading portions out loud while the other follows along silently. When the student reads out loud, this allows the teacher to identify areas that need instruction.  When the teacher reads out loud, it provides the student with a model example, as well as an opportunity to practice fluency.   Students will reflect on their reading through analysis, reflection, and discussion questions throughout the reading experience. 

🍎Depending on the student's needs and reading level, independent reading as homework can be assigned between the meetings each week.  For students needing more reading support and instruction, parents can book additional meeting times each week.  The time needed to complete novels will vary with each student, frequency of meetings, and novel length. 

🍎Chapter questions will be provided to help keep students accountable and engaged in reading. 

🍎A list of novels that are suitable for this grade band are listed below with summaries, as well as under supplies.  Students can choose the novel(s) that they are most interested in from the list before class.  Students are required to have a hard copy of their own (purchased, or borrowed from a library) for every class meeting.  For students who need the additional support, an accompanying audio book version or other reading support may also be helpful for daily reading between meetings. 

Reading level and text difficulty varies between these novels.  For middle school students, higher interest levels 

 A variety of novels are listed as some students may have read or already own one or more of these books. 

If you are not sure where to start, I recommend the first two books listed, in that order as they are less commonly read in school and are highly engaging page turners that I have had the most success with hooking readers across all grades, genders, and reading levels. 

~CHOOSE FROM THESE NOVELS~ (Novel Suggestions are Welcome)

*The First Day of School Forever by RL Stine:  Artie's family just moved and it is the first day at his new school, but it quickly becomes the worst day of school, and worse yet is that it keeps repeating!  This story is full of humor and jaw dropping antics with a major plot twist at the end. 

*You'll Like it Here, Everybody Does by Ruth White:  Meggie and David Blue are from another planet but they are a lot like Earth kids, except that they are aliens.  Their family has to make a quick escape from Earth and wind up on a planet similar to Earth except the society is oppressive and hostile to individual freedom.  Individuality and uniqueness are forbidden.  People are kept submissive through drugs and brainwashing.  The Blues plan their escape and hope to rescue a few others in the process. 

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen: Brian's parents recently divorced.  He is the only passenger on a small prop plane to visit his father in Canada when the pilot suffers a heart attack. Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake in the remote Canadian wilderness.  He has to survive with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present.  

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (part of a trilogy that could be continued): Sam Gribley wasn't happy in his normal life and family and dreamed of running away from home and living by himself. One day he did it.  He ran all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, and embarked on a journey of learning to live off the land. 

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen: Cole Matthews is a rage filled kid who has been stealing and fighting for years.  After brutally assaulting another boy, a judge offers him a choice between prison or the Native American Circle Justice.  Not wanting to go to prison, he chooses the latter and is soon banished to remote Alaskan island where he gets mauled by the Spirit Bear, a mysterious white bear of Native American legend. To survive, he must stop blaming others and take responsibility for his life. 

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John: Martine’s home and parents are lost in a house fire in England and now she must live on a wildlife preserve  in South Africa with a grandmother she had never known. After arriving she hears stories about a mythical white giraffe living in the preserve. One stormy night,  she looks out her window and sees it and soon discovers she has a special healing power that made seeing the white giraffe no coincidence at all. 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (part of the Narnia series which could be continued): Four siblings discover the magical land of Narnia through a secret passage beyond the wardrobe door.  Narnia is under the evil control of the White Witch.  They join the lion, Aslan, in the battle to save Narnia before it is too late!

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies: Fourth-grader Evan Treski is good with people and communication. His younger sister, Jessie, really good at math, but not very good with people. They both decide to open lemonade stands and soon their disagreements escalate into an all out war. . .a lemonade war!

The Giver by Lois Lowry:  Twelve year old Jonas lives in a seemingly utopian, futuristic world, and he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver.  The Giver has a special role in society because they alone keep the memories of the true joys and pain of life, while the rest of society remains oblivious to the past, or extreme feelings of any kind. 

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell: An Indian girl named Karana was left behind on an island in the Pacific ocean where she lived alone for years, waiting for rescue.  While she waited, she had to keep herself alive and safe from the wild dogs.  Other animals are there too, including the blue dolphins. 

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding: As a new world war begins, a group of schoolboys get stranded on an uncharted island when their plane crashes. At first, no longer having adults telling them what to do seems like something to celebrate. They can do anything they want!  As the first problems arise, they decide that some rules are good and try to create their own society.  Agreement among the boys seems impossible and soon things spiral into chaos.  Before too long, the boys discover that power can corrupt, and the hearts of humans can turn bad. 

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter: Roo Fanshaw is a poor girl living with abuse in an unstable family.  Her parents die and she is sent to live with an unknown wealthy eccentric uncle on an island with a dark past. This story is full of mystery and odd characters.