I am a huge fan of teaching novels in the language arts classroom. When I hear rumblings of doing away with novels in the middle school classroom and replacing the time with chapter excerpts and passages, it makes my heart sad.
I remember my third grade teacher read aloud Island of the Blue Dolphins and I was mesmerized!! I looked forward to the next day's lesson......I daydreamed about what would happen to the characters....I wanted to read other books by the same author...I learned to love reading.
Isn't that what teaching reading is all about? To get them to LOVE it...to want to do it on their own?!? I don't sit down at night after the kids have gone to bed and just read excerpts of novels. I read books that engage me, that I love, that I just can't put down.
If we can get students to love what they are reading, then they will read. The more they read, the more proficient they will become. Stamina will be built, comprehension will happen, and natural readers will be born.
Currently, I am in the planning process for two new novels to read with my seventh grade students. I can't wait to share what we're going to do with these amazing books...it is sure to be exciting! Until then...
Happy Teaching,
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