How to Study a Novel

The study of the novel is a standard teaching option for most middle and high school Language Arts teachers. Even some upper elementary teachers may want to introduce their students to novel study in a grade appropriate way. Doing a novel study with students helps them develop a better appreciation for literature, increases their vocabulary and their overall comprehension skills.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A novel
• A novel packet
• A final project plan

1. Choose a novel for its content, reading level and subject matter. The novel should be something that will appeal to most of your students in a variety of ways and also follow curriculum guidelines for your English department.
2. Consider novels that are new, have some connection with current events or are recent award winners. This will allow you to apply what students are reading more easily to their everyday lives.
3. Select a novel for its literary value. If you do more than one study a year be sure to include something literary that is considered a classic. This will challenge your students to a higher level of thinking.
4. Introduce your students to the novel by talking about the major characters, time period and what is happening in the world when the novel takes place. You can do this as a group discussion.
5. Assign a certain number of pages to be read each day to keep students ready for classroom discussion.
6. Put together a novel packet that includes vocabulary for each chapter, comprehension questions and an essay section. Use the essay section to allow students to make connections from the novel to their own lives, make predictions about what will happen next and synthesize information from the chapter.
7. Test students on their knowledge of the novel by assigning a project. Consider using the portfolio method throughout your study having students do their own writing to go along with the novel. Students should include poetry, slogans, summaries, short stories and drawings or photos for illustrations.

Tips & Warnings

• If you really want to find out how much students know about the novel they are studying, try something other than a test at the end of the study. Use short quizzes throughout the study to measure learning, but a project will inspire them in ways regular testing won't.