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A Novel Approach: Whole-Class Novels, Student-Centered Teaching, and Choice 1st Edition

by Kate Roberts (Author)

4.7 246 ratings

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As an English teacher, Kate Roberts has seen the power of whole-class novels to build community in her classroom. But she’s also seen too many kids struggle too much to read them--and consequently, check out of reading altogether. Kate’s had better success getting kids to actually read – and enjoy it―when they choose their own books within a workshop model. “And yet,” she says, “I missed my whole-class novels.”

In A Novel Approach, Kate takes a deep dive into the troubles and triumphs of both whole-class novels and independent reading and arrives at a persuasive conclusion: we can find a student-centered, balanced approach to teaching reading. Kate offers a practical framework for creating units that join both teaching methods together and helps you:

• Identify the skills your students need to learn
• Choose whole-class texts that will be most relevant to your kids
• Map out the timing of a unit and the strategies you’ll teach
• Meet individual needs while teaching whole novels
• Guide students to choice books and book clubs that build on the skills being taught.

Above all, Kate’s plan emphasizes teaching reading skills and strategies over the books themselves. “By making sure that our classes are structured in a way that really sees students and strives to meet their needs,” she argues, “we can keep reaching for the dream of a class where no student is unmoved, no reader unchanged by the end of the year.” Video clips of Kate working with students in diverse classrooms bring the content to life throughout the book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Novel Approach dismantles timeworn methods for teaching whole class novels that consume class time, provide little relevance or rigor, and disengage students from reading. Kate Roberts offers an empowering road map for navigating whole class novels with your students while supporting their independent reading lives. A forward-thinking model for progressive literacy education. -- --Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild

Increasing the volume of student reading starts with finding the right balance between independent reading, book club reading, and core work reading. And this is where A Novel Approach proves invaluable. Kate Roberts not only shows secondary teachers why achieving this balance is important, she demonstrates how to do it. -- --Kelly Gallagher, author of Readicide and coauthor of 180 Days

I wish this book was around back when I completely stopped reading in High School. I lost years of my reading life, just as so many students turn away from reading in secondary grades because the assigned books are uninteresting, too confusing, or seem to drag on. Kate's approach shows us that when novel teaching is skills driven, brief, and complimented with book clubs, it can be more engaging to students and more rewarding for teachers.--Christopher Lehman, coauthor of Falling in Love with Close Reading and author of Energize Research Writing

There isn t a teacher among us who hasn t wondered, How do I do all of this? Reading this book is like having the world s best instructional coach by your side to help you craft a clear, manageable, and responsive approach to helping your students become better readers, thinkers, and people. Kate reminds us of the tremendous power of our instructional decisions on our students reading lives, all the while, handing us resources, instilling in us a necessary confidence, and high-fiving us through pages of this book.

Allison Marchetti and Rebekah O Dell, coauthors of Beyond Literary Analysis and Writing With Mentors

Like any author worth her salt, Kate trusts her readers to bring their own expertise to the text. If you are expecting the definitive answer to the age-old question, What s better: giving students opportunities for independent choice, or teaching with a whole class novel? you won t get the answer. What you will get is Kate s straightforward, common sense approach on how to use both. Kate helps teachers weigh their options and make choices about what s best for their students. She shares her systems and structures and reassures readers that students of all levels can make growth.--Cris Tovani, coauthor of No More Telling as Teaching and I Read It, But I Don t Get It

In A Novel Approach, Kate Roberts offers those of us in the classroom a witty, engaging, and thoughtful examination of a problem we are all grappling with one way or another: How to teach whole-classs novels in ways that challenge and engage not only our students but us! This thoughtful book provides a range of approaches that would work in different classes with different kids. Just as important, though, it shows us that it is still possible to be the sort of English teacher we wanted to be when we entered the profession. --Jim Burke, author of The English Teacher s Companion

About the Author

KATE ROBERTS is a national literacy consultant, top-selling author, and popular keynote speaker. She taught reading and writing in Brooklyn, NY and worked as a literacy coach before joining the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in 2005, where she worked as a Lead Staff Developer for 11 years. Kate's latest book, A Novel Approach, asks how we can teach whole class novels while still holding onto student centered practices like readers workshop. She is also the co-author of Falling in Love with Close Reading (with Christopher Lehman), DIY Literacy (with Maggie Beattie Roberts), and she co-wrote two Units of Study books on Literary Essay. Her work with students across the country has led to her belief that all kids can be insightful, academic thinkers when the work is demystified, broken down and made engaging. To this end, Kate has worked nationally and internationally to help teachers, schools, and districts develop and implement strong teaching practices and curriculum.

Follow Kate online.
Twitter: @TeachKate
Pinterest: /IndentBlog
Blog: KateAndMaggie.com

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0325088659
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HEINEMANN; 1st edition (February 14, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0275980529
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0325088655
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 11 - 17 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 6 - 12
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.3 x 0.4 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #356,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #801 in Reading & Phonics Teaching Materials
- #1,764 in Education (Books)

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4.7 246 ratings

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Kate Roberts

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KATE ROBERTS is a national literacy consultant, top-selling author, and popular keynote speaker. She taught reading and writing in Brooklyn, NY and worked as a literacy coach before joining the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in 2017, where she worked as a Lead Staff Developer for 11 years. Kate is the co-author (with Christopher Lehman) of the popular Falling in Love with Close Reading, and of DIY Literacy (with Maggie Beattie Roberts), along with two Heinemann Unit of Study books on Literary Essay. Her work with students across the country has led to her belief that all kids can be insightful, academic thinkers when the work is demystified, broken down and made engaging. To this end, Kate has worked nationally and internationally to help teachers, schools, and districts develop and implement strong teaching practices and curriculum. Her blog, indent, is a touchstone for hundreds of teachers and she uses social media, particularly Twitter (@teachkate), to help build community and solve problems among her educator peers..

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Customers find the book provides practical information for classroom teachers, with opportunities for students to apply new skills. It's a great resource for reading and writing teachers, with wisdom on reading strategies and methodology. The book has an impactful and thought-provoking design that boosts confidence and prompts deeper thinking.

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Teaching effectiveness Readability Impact Design

15 customers mention "Teaching effectiveness"15 positive0 negative

Customers find this book provides practical information for classroom teachers. It offers students opportunities to apply new skills through choice texts. The author recommends a blended approach that engages individual learners from every angle. The book is filled with nuggets for both novice and experienced teachers, offering a nice mix of theory and practical applications.

"...Kate Roberts sees the value in a variety of teaching methods and recommends a blended approach—teaching reading through a combination of student-..." Read more

"...she weaves independent reading, book clubs, and whole-class novels into her language arts classroom...." Read more

"...She weaves together research, stories from her childhood, her experiences as a teacher, and even funny anecdotes from parenting two toddlers, to..." Read more

"Filled with nuggets for not only novice teachers but for more seasoned professionals..." Read more

13 customers mention "Readability"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and follow. It provides a great resource for reading and writing teachers, with wisdom on reading strategies and methodology. The book offers design units that include whole-class experiences with complex text and opportunities for students. Readers appreciate the engagement that comes with choice in reading instruction, and how it complements book clubs and independent reading. They also mention that the book is well-written and easy to plan and keep lectures under 10 minutes.

"...to use full-length texts to teach valuable, transferable skills and strategies, showing us how to limit time spent to make sure students also have..." Read more

"...Kate's experience in the classroom and her immense wisdom with reading strategies and methodology help make a return to core text studies manageable..." Read more

"...teachers how to design units of study that include whole class experiences with complex text and opportunities for students to apply newly learned..." Read more

"...Keys: PLAN and keep your lectures to under 10 min...." Read more

5 customers mention "Impact"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book impactful and thought-provoking. They say it boosts confidence and prompts deeper thinking. Readers mention that the book keeps them questioning, pondering, and laughing along.

"...This book saved my heart this year when my district suddenly took the freedom to use my professional experience and creativity...." Read more

"...of bringing these instructional practices together, she keeps readers questioning, pondering, and laughing along the way...." Read more

"...this book will have you questioning yourself and pushing yourself to challenge your own beliefs...." Read more

"...read for teachers looking to make units more student friendly and impactful. Roberts has great voice and provides videos along the way...." Read more

3 customers mention "Design"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's design authentic and meaningful. They appreciate the realistic text studies and practical strategies presented in videos.

"...Roberts gives practical strategies and models in videos...." Read more

"...methodology help make a return to core text studies manageable and realistic...." Read more

"Design authentic and meaningful units of study..." Read more

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Queenkimberley
A blended approach to reach individual learners from every angle
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2018
Verified Purchase

As the pendulum swings in education, veteran teachers know it isn’t wise to throw the baby out with the bath water. This book saved my heart this year when my district suddenly took the freedom to use my professional experience and creativity. We middle school teachers were told we were never to teach with a whole-class full text. For the first time, I wasn’t able to teach kids how to love a book, how to notice all the mysteries and celebrate the craft as it touched our hearts.

Kate Roberts sees the value in a variety of teaching methods and recommends a blended approach—teaching reading through a combination of student-selected independent books, book clubs, and whole class novels.

As a teacher who is committed to evolving based on published research, I knew I wanted to learn more about teaching well with independent reading and book club models. Roberts gives practical strategies and models in videos. I learned just what I hoped to learn and feel much more confident about implementing these more effectively in my classroom.

She also supports my own anecdotal research through many years as a high school and middle school teacher, by recognizing the value of analyzing the craft and themes in a challenging text as a team. We can entice students to notice deeper meanings and sophisticated craft moves when we can pose questions and target their focus during partner work. Reporting what they uncover to the whole class boosts confidence and prompts even deeper thinking yet. My students then applied the skills they learned in book clubs, and it was exciting to watch their deep analysis unfold with this guided practice.

If only leaders knew what we really do with full texts in the classroom these days—it’s not a dragged-out worksheet like it may have been for them in the past. Roberts coaches us to use full-length texts to teach valuable, transferable skills and strategies, showing us how to limit time spent to make sure students also have time to read what they choose.

This book was just the validation I craved at just the right time to save my soul. Even though I’m not permitted at this point to use what I have learned, I know I’m not wrong. I am so grateful that such an honored professional spoke up and shared her expertise. I hope some day I am able to implement every bit I learned from this book.

Thank you, Kate Roberts!

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Travis Crowder
Fall in Love with Whole-Class Novels all Over Again
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
I abandoned whole-class novels several years ago in favor of independent reading. After years of trudging through whole-class text studies, I had grown weary of limited engagement from my students. Great literature was ruined for me, and when I implemented a full reading and writing workshop, I navigated away from core texts and focused on engaging students through the power of self-selected reading. Not long ago, I began missing the conversations my students and I had around novels such as The Outsiders and Fahrenheit 451. There was no touchstone, no allusion that we could hold onto as we ventured into genre studies, mentor texts, and independent writing since the reading focus in my classroom had changed so drastically. Deep inside, I longed for a return to a classroom structure that enabled free choice independent reading AND focused core text studies. Then I found and read Kate's book. And it has given me the ideas and strategies I need to return to whole-class novels.

If you are reticent about whole-class texts, or have abandoned them in favor of self-selected reading, I encourage you to pick up Kate Roberts's book and give it a thorough read. Kate's experience in the classroom and her immense wisdom with reading strategies and methodology help make a return to core text studies manageable and realistic. There is something beautiful about the seamless way she weaves independent reading, book clubs, and whole-class novels into her language arts classroom. The focus on skills as opposed to content help transform the horrifying trudge through classic literature into pleasurable reading experiences. And more importantly, your students will reap the rich benefits of Kate's ideas.

Reading this book will deepen your thinking and raise your awareness of places in your teaching where whole-class texts will nudge your students further in their reading lives. I promise you will not be disappointed by this phenomenal book.

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7 people found this helpful

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TGM
Design authentic and meaningful units of study
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
In A Novel Approach, Kate shows middle and high school teachers how to design units of study that include whole class experiences with complex text and opportunities for students to apply newly learned skills in texts they choose. Kate combines the best of two “instructional worlds” and shows readers how to create units of study that meld reading workshop and whole class novel instruction.

As Kate shares her journey of bringing these instructional practices together, she keeps readers questioning, pondering, and laughing along the way. She weaves together research, stories from her childhood, her experiences as a teacher, and even funny anecdotes from parenting two toddlers, to help readers see how to design units of study that incorporate “the best of both worlds.”

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Tess Eggleston
Both Affirming AND Thought-Provoking
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
Filled with nuggets for not only novice teachers but for more seasoned professionals (the parts where mini-lessons and read alouds are dissected might be passed over by the latter), Kate Roberts has left me with many things to mull over before August.

3 Biggest takeaways:
1. Theme: three column notes with one of them being a 3 word statement
2. Side Missions: important in pushing thinking further or for remediation
3. Differentiation: can/does exist with the whole-class novel (both in small group as well as individual conferences

Both affirming as well as thought-provoking.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A blended approach to reach individual learners from every angle

5.0 out of 5 stars Fall in Love with Whole-Class Novels all Over Again

5.0 out of 5 stars Design authentic and meaningful units of study

4.0 out of 5 stars Both Affirming AND Thought-Provoking

A blended approach to reach individual learners from every angle

Fall in Love with Whole-Class Novels all Over Again

Design authentic and meaningful units of study

Both Affirming AND Thought-Provoking