Now that we’ve read and written summaries and analyses about short stories, we are reading a novel as a class. Each grade is reading a different novel: sixth grade is reading The Giver by Lois Lowry; seventh grade is reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green; and eighth grade is reading Feed by M.T. Anderson.
Each student was given a copy of the text and a calendar with reading due dates so they can plan and write down which chapters they are going to read each day. Using this calendar to make a plan with milestones to reach due dates can help strengthen executive functioning skills as well as ensure they are prepared for class. If your student has lost the calendar, no fears! There is a copy on our Google Classroom they can access. While maybe not quite as visually appealing as art projects, I’m sure you still have the perfect magnet for it to be displayed on the place middle schoolers frequent daily: your refrigerator! (And if your student color-codes due dates for other classes and after-school activities, it’s quite possible the calendar could become as colorful as an art project!)
The material on Google Classroom has the calendar with reading due dates as well as ideas on where to find audio versions of the book; if your student is more of an auditory learner, this is a great option! However, I strongly encouraged students to not only listen to the book but to follow along in the hard copy they were given in class.
Getting through the novel is going to take some time (hence the calendar, though I’m planning to be done by Thanksgiving Break). To increase engagement and responsibility to complete the reading, each student has been assigned a week that they are leading the class discussions. I hope students will enjoy a break from my voice and a chance to lead the class.
To engage with your student, you could ask them:
- which week they are leading class discussion;
- what chapter they are currently reading;
- where their calendar with reading due dates is; and
- what their opinion of the book is so far.