Literature Kits (Novel Study Guides)

Description

Useful and flexible – that about sums it up for these easy-to-use novel study "kits." Weaving in critical thinking skills (based on Bloom's Taxonomy) with reading comprehension, vocabulary, and analysis, the kits provide everything you need in a single worktext with an excellent price point. Designed for both teachers and students, this one volume provides good, "just-enough" teacher guide info coupled with reproducible student handouts.

Teacher material is in color and includes an assessment rubric, plus some general teaching notes and strategies. A story summary, suggestions for further reading and vocabulary lists are included here along with graphic organizers selected specifically for the novel being studied. The graphic organizers are in color also and can be projected, used on an interactive whiteboard, or reproduced.

Novel chapters are divided into ten groupings with grayscale student handouts for each grouping. These handouts are reproducible and provide reading comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, short answer questions, and a journaling prompt. Additionally, there are six specific writing tasks/projects for each novel. At the end of the study, there is a vocabulary wordsearch and a comprehensive quiz.

It is not expected that all these activities will be completed – or so says the teacher info. This means the student can work at their own pace and that the teacher can match the work with the student.

While these literature kits aren't quite as strong in the area of literary analysis as some, they are user-friendly and comprehensive with good support information and activities. ~ Janice


Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.