When I was in teaching in the fourth-grade classroom I used a variety of approaches to meet the needs of my learners. One of my favorite reading tools was novel studies. In today’s blog, I will be talking about the importance of novel studies and why you should be using them in the classroom.
But first, what is a novel study?
A novel study is, simply put, when the class reads a novel and studies it. This can be done in many ways: a teacher reading aloud or each student having their own copy are two ways to use novel studies in the classroom. In a novel study, the teacher is the one guiding the students through the book. This differs from book clubs or literature circles where students take leadership roles. I would switch between novel studies and literature circles often. Want to read more about literature circles? Check out this blog post.
1. Exposure
Novel studies are great for exposing students to books that they wouldn’t have necessarily picked to read themselves. Not every student will love every book pick, but exposing students to a wide variety of novels is helpful in expanding book choice.
2. Improve Comprehension
I have done novel studies in two ways. The first was to read aloud the book while the students listened and responded. The second way is similar, except each student had a copy to follow along. Novel studies are excellent for improving comprehension because you are able to stop as you read, ask questions, and clarify the text.
3. Showcases Good Reading Skills
While reading the novel aloud the teacher will be modeling good reading skills. Some of the skills include fluency, intonation, the thinking process, etc. The teacher will use the novel study as an opportunity to teach the students how to be good readers. They will model inferencing, summarizing, visualizations, connections, questions, and so much more.
4. Speaking & Listening Skills
When working through a novel study students will need to listen and respond to their teacher and peers. Discussions will happen about the book. Students will be making connections, asking, and answering questions. They will be taking turns to speak, listening to what their peers are saying, and responding to the conversation.
5. Even Big Kids Love Read Alouds
When I taught fourth grade my students would get SO excited when I read novels aloud. They would beg for more. It was a nice downtime for them to sit back and listen. They were learning so much. This time was especially helpful for my reluctant readers because they were able to enjoy reading without the stress of reading itself.
I have clarified the importance of novel studies and their usefulness in the elementary classroom. However, that doesn’t mean more work for you! There are so many resources at your fingertips; you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Want to try novel studies in your own classroom? Save your time with pre-made novel studies!
Friendship According to Humphrey
This novel is about a hamster named Humphrey who lives in a classroom as a class pet. This story is all about how he makes friends with a new pet in the classroom. This is the perfect introduction to the Humphrey series!
Something Upstairs is a classic novel by Avi. It is a spooky historical mystery that involves ghosts from the past. As Kenny, the main character, uncovers the mystery he must face challenging questions about morality, history, and the impact of individual actions.
This is a personal favorite because it lends itself to novel studies so well. It is about a boy who is punished and to cure the punishment has to search for examples of literary devices.
Do you use novel studies in your classroom? The importance of novel studies and the benefits of doing them on a regular basis are numerous. It is a nice differentiation from the basal reader and you can spend as much or little time on it as you wish. To see the ready-made novel studies available in my TpT store click here.
