To help my students learn amid the pandemic, I want to incorporate more diverse, accessible, and relevant novel choices to encourage self-selected reading for our Literature Circles unit. The pandemic has led to a great decrease in student engagement and skill growth, so it is vital that our curriculum becomes more vibrant and differentiated. Our students have also had their social skills and connections with differing peers negatively impacted by the pandemic, so units like this allow for small group projects and discussions which will help to build those skills back. I have seen many great revelations and relationships built through book discussions, and I believe more relevant choices can increase those positive outcomes! Not only will a diverse and inclusive set of novels help to encourage reading and exciting discussion amongst small groups, these novels will potentially help many students who have been struggling to cope with or understand the stress and trauma the pandemic has brought upon us all.
Our teenagers have spent the last 2 years seeing the world through screens, and I believe we need to help them see the world through novels that can be just as exciting and engaging. One common complaint I hear from students is that the books chosen for them in previous English classes do not always pique their interest, so I believe providing multiple novels to choose from that feature main characters around their age will help in fostering an openness to reading, maybe even a new love for reading!
To make my upcoming unit, Literature Circles, more engaging, I want to incorporate more YA novels that provide a diverse and inclusive cast of characters: a variety of experiences, identities, perspectives, voices, Lexile levels, and genres. I hope to create a memorable, accessible, and desirable unit for all!
About my class
To help my students learn amid the pandemic, I want to incorporate more diverse, accessible, and relevant novel choices to encourage self-selected reading for our Literature Circles unit. The pandemic has led to a great decrease in student engagement and skill growth, so it is vital that our curriculum becomes more vibrant and differentiated. Our students have also had their social skills and connections with differing peers negatively impacted by the pandemic, so units like this allow for small group projects and discussions which will help to build those skills back. I have seen many great revelations and relationships built through book discussions, and I believe more relevant choices can increase those positive outcomes! Not only will a diverse and inclusive set of novels help to encourage reading and exciting discussion amongst small groups, these novels will potentially help many students who have been struggling to cope with or understand the stress and trauma the pandemic has brought upon us all.
Our teenagers have spent the last 2 years seeing the world through screens, and I believe we need to help them see the world through novels that can be just as exciting and engaging. One common complaint I hear from students is that the books chosen for them in previous English classes do not always pique their interest, so I believe providing multiple novels to choose from that feature main characters around their age will help in fostering an openness to reading, maybe even a new love for reading!
To make my upcoming unit, Literature Circles, more engaging, I want to incorporate more YA novels that provide a diverse and inclusive cast of characters: a variety of experiences, identities, perspectives, voices, Lexile levels, and genres. I hope to create a memorable, accessible, and desirable unit for all!
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