Whole Novels for the Whole Class: A Student-Centered Approach

Whole Novels is a practical, field-tested guide to implementing a student-centered literature program that promotes critical thinking and literary understanding through the study of novels with middle school students. Rather than using novels simply to teach basic literacy skills and comprehension strategies, Whole Novels approaches literature as art. The book is fully aligned with the Common Core ELA Standards and offers tips for implementing whole novels in various contexts, including suggestions for teachers interested in trying out small steps in their classrooms first.

• Includes a powerful method for teaching literature, writing, and critical thinking to middle school students
• Shows how to use the Whole Novels approach in conjunction with other programs
• Includes video clips of the author using the techniques in her own classroom

This resource will help teachers work with students of varying abilities in reading whole novels.

Keywords: Teacher Education (K-12), reading novels in middle school, encouraging students to read novels, Whole Novels, books by Ariel Sacks, Common Core Standards and novels, teaching literature, teaching writing, teaching critical thinking, Common Core, ELA, struggling readers, comprehension, literacy, teaching strategies, teaching reading, picking novels, book clubs, classroom strategies