For younger students, try nursery rhymes and songs. For middle schoolers, use comic books, song lyrics, or even kid’s magazines. With high schoolers, try popular song lyrics, blog posts, or short stories/novellas that lead to movies. These familiar texts will help bring your students into literature without as much drama. With younger students, make sure you’re picking out books that are at their reading level. They won’t enjoy reading books that they struggle with. [2] X Expert Source Soren Rosier, PhDEducation Researcher Expert Interview. 1 May 2019.
If you throw a long classical novel at a student who’s never read a short story, they’re likely to reach for the Cliff Notes without even trying. For instance, starting with George Elliot’s Middlemarch may be a bit much, but short stories like “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor or the novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King may be a bit more accessible to high schoolers.
Try balancing out older texts by reading contemporary texts that deal with similar themes. Students may be more willing to engage with the older variety if they can view them through a contemporary lens. Also, reconsider what you deem “literature. " Spoken word poetry, blogs, and adult comic books (such as Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home) can all have literary value.
If possible, allow approved choices outside of the reading list, as well. Once you find a book that kids really like, have the whole class read it together. [6] X Expert Source Soren Rosier, PhDEducation Researcher Expert Interview. 1 May 2019. Reading as a class helps you make sure that everybody’s following along. [7] X Expert Source Soren Rosier, PhDEducation Researcher Expert Interview. 1 May 2019.
In elementary school, students will likely need lots of examples, while once they reach high school, one example may be enough. For instance, you could write out the main plot points on the board as your students describe them to you. You can also do things like have your students make predictions about what will happen next.
You can work together on writing out main ideas in class. For elementary and middle school students, pick familiar stories, such as fairy tales or Disney movies. For high school students, try fairy tales or recently released movies. Then, assign one for homework.
Use the same examples you did for the main idea and point out how the themes are different. For instance, the main idea of Cinderella might be that a girl is treated harshly by her stepfamily and then goes to a ball and falls in love with a prince. The theme might be “Be kind and work hard. " Stick with short, simple themes for elementary and middle school students. In high school, you can work on more complex themes and incorporate the idea that stories can have more than one theme.
For example, instead of saying, “What do you like about the book?” ask a more direct question, such as, “Which characters do you think make good choices? Name at least 1 character who makes good choices and why you think they do. Are they rewarded for those good choices?” This kind of question can work for younger and older students; just be sure to adjust it as needed to your students’ level.
For example, you might say, “That’s an interesting thought. What in the text makes you think that?” By asking students to expand on their ideas and not dismissing them outright, you encourage them to speak up. Then, by asking them to back up what they say, you’re teaching them to analyze and interpret the text.
For instance, try making green eggs and ham with Dr. Seuss’s book or molding chocolate for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
For example, you could have a swinging ’20s party after reading The Great Gatsby.
For younger students, try assigning each student a job, such as a recorder, searcher, reader, and so on. Give them tasks like naming characters and answering simple questions. With older students, write open-ended discussion questions and have them jot down 2-3 of the main points they come up with.
Let them use whatever technology they think is fun at the time, which changes from year to year (and sometimes day to day).
