A NEW KIND OF NOVEL STUDY >>>
READING AHEAD
NOVEL STUDIES
ARE UNLIKE
ANYTHING ELSE
The resource brings the novel to life making it more interactive.
Introduction
Reading Ahead novel studies bring the novel alive for the student by combining the best of the web with good stories. Once a class is registered, usernames and passwords as well as a teacher username and password are forwarded to the teacher.
Four lessons centered on the novel of your choice can now be accessed that focus on comprehension, vocabulary building, journal writing and forum discussion. A teacher guide is included with the package.
See our books available for novel study >>>
More about our lessons >>>
Modules
Each novel should be taught in modules. Students read roughly 20 to 30 pages at a time and then log on to one of Reading Ahead’s environments. You can choose to read together as a class or have students read on their own. This makes for organized lesson planning by splitting your class between the traditional classroom and the computers.
Differentiated Learning
In addition to the lessons, students are sent a word of the day and a forum topic of the day so they can expand their vocabulary and practice their writing. The more activities, lessons, prompts, words, forums and journal activities the students respond to, the more points they earn to decorate their environments.
This is differentiated learning at its best. Students work at their own speed. The rewards for task completion are immediate and tangible. Students who finish early can explore and discover the many hidden elements within their environments.
Pre-Reading Context
The resource creates context for the students with maps, pictures and non-fiction articles. These elements can be used as either pre-reading activities or post-reading wrap ups. Journal entries and forum discussion also build a context for reading, thus making reading the novel a more enjoyable experience for all.
Reading Prompts
Reading prompts are clues that are left for the students in their environments. These serve as a means of motivating the student to keep reading by building an element of on-line gaming, a skill with which they feel very comfortable, into learning. Visually appealing lesson launchers make the lessons more enticing. Each time a student accesses the Reading Ahead novel study, a new item appears in their environment. This makes the novel study fun and engaging.
On-Line Time
Depending on the level and focus of the class, Reading Ahead novel studies should take between 4-10 hours of on-line time to complete. Recognizing that computer time in a school can be difficult to find, the resource can be used by the student at home. As well, each lesson can be completed by a focussed student within a standard high school period (60-80 minutes). If a student cannot complete the lessons in one period, all of the work is saved for another session, thus allowing convenient lesson planning for the teacher.
