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Novel/lit Study guide suggestions needed


Jenn in CA
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I'm looking for study guides for novels that would help my 6th graders with comprehension:

* some vocab, but not too much

* guidance in the important themes, plus help them figure out what was important that happened in the chapter [they're good at remembering interesting details, but not important ones]

* no fun project ideas needed

I feel like I could do a better job at helping my students with this, if I knew how to ask good questions and what to ask. I think going thru a study guide for a novel would help all of us.

Ideally, I'd find a good series or publisher of study guides and could pick our novels based on what guides are available.

Any ideas?

Edited by Jenn in CA
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Ideas for guides:
Glencoe Literature Library  (free) (secular)-- free guides -- middle school/high school level books
Blackbird & Company (secular) -- by grade ranges -- try gr. 5-8 for your ages

Garlic Press Discovering Literature guides (secular) -- the "regular" guides, for gr. 5-8; "challenger level" are for gr. 9-12
Progeny Press (Christian) -- by grade ranges -- upper elementary (gr. 4-6) or middle school (gr. 6-8)

Kolbe Elementary Literature Teacher Manual (gr. 4-6) -- vocabulary and chapter study questions for 29 books

For training yourself in how to guide discussion:
- What is Literary Analysis and When to Teach It -- SWB audio and hand-out

Reading  Strands
Teaching the Classics
Deconstructing Penguins -- describes an elementary-age book club

And some Socratic questions that can be adapted for purposes for discussion:
50 Questions to Help Students Think About What They Think (reflection & collaboration; self-reflection; reasoning; analysis; connections; literary questions; science & social questions)
The 6 Tpes of Socratic Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy Questions
Twenty Five Question Stems Framed Around Bloom's Taxonomy

Edited by Lori D.
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I think the Glencoe Lit Guides are the best. Choose books that are the right ones for your kids - there's a bit of a range.

I'd also recommend reading short stories, just generally. I think they're really good for pushing for comprehension and lit analysis a bit more.

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