This isn’t your average novel study! Animal lovers unite and join this amazingly fun learning experience as we explore the novel Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. This heart-warming novel is told from the perspective of a little girl who is new to town but finds unexpected friends and healing with the help of a mischievous dog.  

I am a certified reading teacher who is known for my fun classroom activities. My goal is to foster a love for reading in all students I teach. I will bring that classroom fun to this virtual class. 

As animal lovers, we will explore Winn-Dixie’s impact on a family that needed her love more than they knew while practicing and improving the following reading standards and social emotional learning skills:
-Asking questions.
-Making and confirming predictions. 
-Making connections. 
-Character traits.
-Character relationships.
-Plot.
-Conflict resolution.
-Compassion. 
-Relationship skills.
-Interpersonal skills.
-Coping with feelings. 

What makes this class unique?
-The opportunity to BYOA - bring your own animal to one or more classes.
-The opportunity to complete special projects (not required) that are fun and engaging. 
-Students will be given the option to watch the movie (on their own time) and compare and contrast the book and the movie in a final celebration class - "Winn-Dixie" style!

Students will be required to complete reading between classes. This can be done by:
The student reading a hard copy or digital copy of the book on their own.
-A  family member reading the book with the student.
-The student listening to an audio version of the book. 

Our goal is to deepen our comprehension skills and have fun while doing so, therefore, a student does not need to be able to read the book independently as long as a family member can read it with them or they are able to listen to an audio copy of the book. This differentiated study allows for all levels of readers to participate successfully. 

I encourage you to research both the book and the movie before signing up your learner. A great place to start is www.commonsensemedia.com. If a student is signed up for the class, it means the parent gives their child permission to read the book and watch the movie. 

Feel free to contact me with any questions!