It is far more than grammatical structure, the implementation of vocabulary, or the ability to speak with correct pronunciation. Rather, teaching a language is about giving students the ability to properly combine the elements of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and grammar.
While each of these elements can certainly be taught individually, and there are times in which this is necessary, it’s the ability to combine these elements that truly reflects fluency and gives a student confidence in a language. Over the years, I have implemented novel studies into my classes and used these books as vessels through which students can form connections between each of these elements. Not only do these novel studies target reading fluency and comprehension, but they also allow students to hone in on their writing, grammar, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Novels are selected in accordance with the writing goals for the term: various novels lend themselves to different types of writing. This is not to say that books cannot be used in accordance with all categories of writing, but instead, there are certain genres in which the connection to a type of writing is more tangible and discernible for students. For example, historical fiction novels often go hand-in-hand with report writing, and mysteries tend to be good sources for argumentative writing.
In Primary 6, students read “The Westing Game”, a “whodunnit” novel in which students play with the importance of evidence. Evidence is necessary to solve a crime, just as textual evidence is necessary when writing an argumentative text. Throughout the study, students play with and learn the structures of argumentative writing, composing a culminating piece about who they believe committed the novel’s crime. They then present their texts to a “jury”, receiving feedback on their work. It’s the perfect combination of reading, writing, and oral speaking – all stemming from a class novel. Vocabulary, spelling and grammar also find their merit by way of a class novel. Complex vocabulary is extracted from the weekly reading and used in various activities so that students add these words to their knowledge banks and implement them into their weekly writing. Similarly, frequent sight words are highlighted and drive weekly spelling tests. The class novels are also used to pinpoint various grammatical elements so that students can see them in play. By simply reading on a daily basis, a student’s vocabulary and understanding of grammatical structure is able to expand at a quicker rate.
Let’s not forget a novel study’s impact on reading fluency. Students are encouraged to read aloud to the class, in small groups, in pairs, or even alone. These variations allow students to work on their verbal fluency, expand their comfort levels when speaking aloud, correctly read punctuation, and use proper voice inflections. Through this, they also hear their peers reading, giving themselves a chance to assess what constitutes proper fluency, and gaining tips to implement in their own reading. Providing students with differentiated ways to read ensures all students can reach the same level of comprehension.
A book is a powerful tool in the classroom. It not only supplies a child with a captivating story that transports the reader to another world, but it also affords the opportunity for a child to improve their usage and understanding of language. The implementation of a novel study has proven to be an engaging and positive method used in the primary classroom.
Kristina Kontny, Year 5 Classroom Teacher
