Should You Read a Picture Book to Your Class Every Day?

We all know about the benefits of picture books in the classroom and how we can use them regularly to improve literacy and learning. But should we insist on reading them to our students every day? Should we be feeling guilty if we miss a day? Why are we reading picture books every day?

The Benefits

Picture books are a wonderful tool to use in the classroom. Many of them use thoughtful language, a range of text structures and clever writing. Others use beautiful and interesting illustrations which tell us as much as the words, helping us explore visual literacy. Picture books are easy to fit into smaller amounts of time and are easier to share with groups of students.

So if they’re this good, should we make sure we’re reading them every single day?

Why and How Are You Reading Them?

You really can’t answer the question of whether you should be reading picture books every day, unless you know why you’re reading them and how you approach reading in your classroom. Is it a goal for you or for your students? Is there other reading happening in your classroom or is it your primary reading? Do you only read at one time in the day, or do you pick up books at several times? 

As you’re reflecting on this, you may like to write yourself a little ‘mission statement’ - a short piece of text which explains why reading to your students is important to you and how you’re going to share that importance.

Taking the Pressure Off Yourself

Once you have a clear idea of why and how you’re sharing picture books with your students, step back a little and take some pressure off yourself. There are going to be some days where things just don’t work and you may not get to picture books. There’s going to be some days where time restraints stress you out or new things pop up unexpectedly. It’s ok to let things go - including reading every single day.

It’s worth remembering that reading should be a joyful thing in the classroom - a thing of delight. Your students will know if you’re stressed about fitting reading in - or stressed that reading is taking time you need for other classroom activities. 

But . . . don’t forget that reading a funny or comfortable book can be regulating and calming on those stressed out days. It’s also ok to stop and read when you and your class need it.

Should You Be the Only Person to Read to Them?

Who reads aloud in your classroom? Is it you and only you? And if so . . . could you change that up a bit?

Is there a student who enjoys reading aloud? Or if your students are pre-readers, have you got a student willing to retell a familiar book to their classmates? Have you got a teacher’s assistant who would like to read to the students, or a non-classroom teacher who would like to be an occasional reader? Can you have parent or community volunteers who read to the students, or readers from another grade level?

If you’re not the only one reading, you may be able to fit more books in without feeling the pressure to fit more books in!

It Doesn’t Have to Be a Number Game

Lots of classrooms like recording the number of books they read together - and this can be a great way to get students excited about books. But if it’s a stress to you, you don’t have to do it. 

Keeping record of the books you read as a class can be as simple as adding the title to a poster on your classroom wall (something your students can do). Or you can get a little more complicated by displaying an image of the cover in your classroom or keeping a record book of all the different books and what they’re about.

Do you try to read daily with your students? Share your experiences in the comments

Related posts to read:

• Five Reasons to Use Picture Books in Middle Grades Classrooms

• 5 Ways to Find Joy in Your Classroom and Teaching

• Helping Our Students With Goal Setting

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

Exploring the Plots of Picture Books with Triptychs

One of the important skills you’re exploring picture books with your students is identifying what happens at the beginning, the middle and the end of the picture book. One art activity you can use to help with that is the triptych. Read on to learn more about this interesting way to demonstrate understanding.

What is a Triptych?

The word triptych is derived from a greek word meaning three-fold. Essentially it is an art work made up from three panels. Traditionally, these panels are connected by hinges, allowing the two side panels to fold in on top of the middle panel. They were first introduced in the middle ages as religious art work - their design allowed them to be folded and stored or carried to another place while being protected. They often tell a story and are intended to be read from the left to the right. 

How Can You Use a Triptych to Discuss Plot?

Because a triptych tells a story in three parts, it’s the perfect art medium to discuss the beginning, the middle and the end of a picture book. Students look into the picture book to consider how they might portray the beginning, what elements of the story would be most important to focus on when looking at the middle of the story and how the story ends.

What Kind of Picture Books Will Work?

This is actually a great question to pose to students! Because you need to portray the beginning, the middle and the end, you do want a picture book which has those things! Some of the early childhood picture books which focus on repetitive text (like Where is the Green Sheep? or Dear Zoo) probably won’t work so well (though, you could challenge some particularly creative students to try!). A very long picture book with a lot of events may also be too difficult. 

For younger students, you will probably want to concentrate on books with a clear beginning, middle and end. For example, the Pig the Pug books start with a set up, move into some form of disaster, then show us the conclusion. For older students, you may like to challenge them with more complex story structures, though they will probably also get a lot out of the clear beginning to end books as well.

What Do Students Need to Know When They’re Creating Their Triptych?

Like any art activity, students need to start by planning. They should think about what is important at the beginning, during the middle and at the end and then brainstorm ideas of how they can portray this.

Once they have planned this, students can begin drafting ideas for their triptych. How they do this will depend on the art medium they are using, but many students will begin by sketching their ideas before they start to work on their actual project.

Before students begin working on their good copy, they need to think about how they might be hinged together. Capturing ribbon between the artwork and a backing page is an easy way to create a flexible, but strong hinge, but you can always challenge students to create their own hinges using paper, cloth, ribbon or other materials.

Are you looking for teaching materials to scaffold a plot triptych? Sign up to the free resource library to get yours now.

Have you used art as your book related activities? Share your experiences in the comments.

Related posts to read:

• Explore the Pig the Pug Series with these Writing Tasks

• Five Ways to Explore Picture Books in the Classroom

• Exploring Three Galarious Goods Picture Book Studies for Upper Primary

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

Bringing Book Characters to Life in the Classroom with Collage

Are you looking for an alternative to character profiles in the classroom? What about giving this project an artistic twist? You could always try some collage . . . 

A collage is a piece of art created by combining different elements. In the classroom we often see collages made from coloured paper and magazine or newspaper cut outs, but you can also use fabric and other textiles, recycled materials, photos and other materials.

A collage is a great way to represent a character since it allows the creator to show different elements of a character and even the experiences they have throughout the story. It can be used to show a snapshot of a book or as a book report alternative.

Here’s one way you might like to approach this activity with your class

1. Identify the Features of the Character

The collage begins with planning. That may not be too exciting for the students, but it allows them to produce a higher quality piece of work and allows them to demonstrate that they really understand the character and the book.

Students need to identify the features of the character - the characteristics they want to represent in the collage. They might also like to represent relationships the character has in the story or make a reference to some of the most important events in the book.

2. Use Colours, Images and Shapes to Define the Character

Students need to consider what kind of collage they want to create. Are they beginning with the shape of a person (or animal, if the character is an animal!) and filling it in with collage. Or are they intending to fill the whole page with different elements of the character. This might be a decision you wish to make for the students - you can even provide them with outlines of bodies or heads - or you may like to let them make this decision themselves.

Once they have that worked out, students need to start adding in the material. What they use will be dependent on many things - including classroom resources, time and space, but you might like to ask students to bring in material from home, you might like to provide them with additional resources, or you might like to restrict them to particular materials - such as scrap paper in the classroom or recycled packaging or coloured paper.

Remind students to refer back to their characters’ features as they choose their materials, how much of it they want to use and how they want to place it.

3. Adding Text and Other Features

Once the student has the basic shape of their collage down, they might want to consider what else they can use to make their collage meaningful. Some students might want to add words - they can use the features they started with - to highlight certain characteristics. Others might want to add a paint wash over the top to highlight some parts and dull others. Bits and bobs like sequins, bottle caps, beads, string or wool might be interesting additions, or students might like to choose nature elements such as leaves or sticks.

Don’t forget you may like to let the initial work dry before adding extra material.

4. What Can a Collage Tell Us?

Once students have finished their collages, they should take the time to reflect on their work and the choices they made. This can be done by writing down some ideas, by engaging in a discussion with the teacher, by recording their voice or by making a video. Students can point out the different features they have represented in their work and why they made those particular choices based on what they know about the character. 

Have you created character collages in your classroom? Share your experiences in the comments

Related posts to read:

• Lessons from Three Characters in The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1)

• Adventure Girl and Reclusive Author

• 5 Reasons to Explore The House that Cleaned Itself in the Classroom

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

How to Use Book Talks to ‘Sell’ Books to Your Students

So, you’ve just bought a brilliant book to add to your classroom library. But how can you ensure that it doesn’t sit there, unloved and dusty? How can you make sure it gets into the right hands? The answer is . . . the humble book talk.

What is a Book Talk?

A book talk is a speech or talk recommending that others read a particular book. The person giving the book talk stands or sits in front of their audience (or films or records themselves for their audience) and shares information about the contents of a book. They are working to convince the listener that they absolutely HAVE to read the book.

Teachers are well placed to give book talks to their students. They’re already there in front of them. In many cases they’re selecting (and buying) the books for the classroom. And teachers often have great relationships with their students. 

But what do you need to know when you’re planning to give a book talk?

What Do They Need to Know?

You should definitely start a book talk with the title, the author and the basic premise of the story. Students will want some information about what it’s about - but the challenge is sharing that without giving away too much information.

If the author or illustrator has created other books which are well known in the classroom, you might like to mention that. Students can be very loyal to creators who have given them a good experience in the past.

You Know Your Audience . . . So Don’t Forget to Hook Them In

As the teacher, you’ve usually got a pretty good idea of the likes and dislikes of your students. Remember this when you’re talking about the book. What parts of the book will appeal to your audience? Will they like the characters? The language used in the book? The plot? The appearance of a character from another story or series? Make sure you refer to those parts in your book talk.

Tell your audience enough about the book to get them interested and then stop . . . let them read the book to find out what happens next. If it’s a novel, you might even like to read a little from the book to make it extra intriguing. 

It’s Ok to Share A Personal Response

While you don’t have to tell your students every thought you had while you were reading the book, you might like to share some information about how the book made you feel or how it’s connected to an experience you’ve had. This both gives the students more information about the book and allows them to see how it might connect with someone.

Don’t forget to be enthusiastic either! Try to get the book into hands as soon as possible (though you may need a sign up system for this!)  Use the book as a prop if you can so students can see the cover and remember it in the future.

Challenge them to give the next book talk

While it’s great for teachers to give book talks, students can be the best ambassadors for new books in the classroom. If students are interested in giving book talks, you can always offer them a new book and ask them to read it and talk about it. Letting your students ‘sell’ the books can help them jump into hands like hot cakes!

Do you use book talks in your classroom? Tell us about your experience in the comments

Related posts to read:

• Allowing Students to Fail in the Classroom

• 5 Ways to Plan and Differentiate for Young Gifted Readers: Part One

• Exploring Unreliable Narrators in the Classroom

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

Examining Storytelling in the Classroom through Number the Stars

If you are teaching Number the Stars in your classroom, it’s hard to ignore the element of storytelling. The author makes reference to storytelling at several points in the story, allowing it to frame one of the most important moments in the novel. Here’s some ways you can explore storytelling with your students.

Storytelling in Number the Stars

Early in the novel, Annemarie tells a story to her little sister Kirsti, helping her to fall asleep. She reflects on the stories which make up her life, including the stories about the king and the stories her mother told her little sister when explosions at the harbour occur on Kirsti’s birthday. 

As the events of the book push forward, Annemarie finds herself part of stories, the stories which her mother and uncle tell about a pretend funeral gathering in their house and the story of Little Red Riding Hood, which Annemarie tells herself as she runs through a twisting forest path on a dangerous mission.

As you explore storytelling, students can identify and discuss these moments. They might also like to see if they can find any more examples of storytelling in the novel.

Retelling the Story of Number the Stars

An easy way for students to engage in storytelling is to retell the story of Number the Stars like it is a fairy tale or a fable. They can examine the story of Number the Stars and discuss how it might fit into the structure of the more traditional stories. Students can write and illustrate these retold stories.

Why is It Important?

Why are stories important? This is a great guiding question which you could post to your students as they discuss this topic. Students can reflect on some of the different ways stories are used and some of the places you might find stories. They can look at the role of stories and when stories can do good or can do harm.

Students can also look at the role of storytellers and who storytellers are (or could be). They might like to look at cultures where storytelling is an important part of family and community and why stories are shared (and who is allowed to share those stories). 

Finally students can discuss how stories and storytelling are important when it comes to history. They can look at oral histories and what they tell us as well as the role of historical sources such as newspapers or written material like novels or plays.  

Create a Fairy Tale

To take the discussion of stories further, students can examine an event from their own life and how they might retell it as a fairy tale. They can look at the elements of fairy tales and reflect on how they might need to exaggerate or change their true story. 

Have you explored storytelling in your classroom? Share your experiences in the comments.

Related posts to read:

• 3 Ways Students Can Use Folding Resources to Make Comparisons

• 3 Ways to Engage Students with Folding Vocabulary Lessons

• Exploring Author Intention

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

Why You Should Teach Number the Stars

Some books you can just return to over and over again. For me, Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars is a book like that. I still have my childhood copy, which I think was a Scholastic Book Club purchase. It’s a little battered, but I still return to it to enjoy the beautiful writing and thoughtful story within. Here’s some of the reasons you should use it for a novel study in your classroom.

Number the Stars is focused on Annemarie, a young girl living with her parents and her sister in Copenhagen during the Second World War. From the first chapter we learn that this isn’t the easiest life - a foot race home from school is interrupted by German soldiers who tell them to behave better. And as the story continues, we learn more about the impact of the war on Annemarie’s family and the looming danger to her friend Ellen who is Jewish.

As Annemarie’s family work together to help Ellen and her family, Annemarie is put in a difficult situation. 

Examining Historical Fiction

Number the Stars is a historical fiction book, a book based on real history, but with fictional characters. Although I’ve read it many times, until last year I’d never looked ‘behind the scenes’ to learn more about the history of Denmark in World War 2. 

This is a fascinating activity to engage in if you are exploring Number the Stars with a classroom - one of those times when the historical story is as engaging as the novel. Students can research the occupation of Denmark, the role of King Christian X and the rescue of the Danish Jews among other topics.

Asking the Big ‘Whys’ of History

As students identify the historical events covered in Number the Stars, questions of why these events happen are often raised. Number the Stars is a book which answers some of the questions, but also leaves many questions for further exploration. The behaviour of the soldiers is one of those questions - in the book the soldiers are never properly named, they are part of a system. 

It is important that students ask these questions, as well as questions about how books like Number the Stars can have lessons for us today. What can we learn from those events? What can we learn from those characters? Why is it important?

Examining Bravery and How it Looks Different 

In Number the Stars the adults in Annemarie’s life ask her to be brave, but it’s not a loud bravery that they need from her. Instead they need her to keep secrets, to keep quiet when it’s needed, to pretend to be someone she isn’t at the right moment. This bravery is essential to save lives, but it allows us to explore what bravery is - like we do in Coraline, Rowan of Rin and Boy Overboard.

Teacher Resources

There are four teacher resources for Number the Stars as well as a resource bundle available through Galarious Goods.

The Comprehension and Vocabulary teaching resource is a chapter by chapter study guide for Number the Stars. Different printable resources allow students to examine the comprehension and vocabulary of Number the Stars including chapter questions and more in-depth looks at an aspect of each chapter.

The Character and Setting teaching resource takes a look at the characters of Number the Stars as well as comparing some of those characters with each other. It also includes classroom activities where students describe and discuss the settings in the book.

The Whole Novel teaching resource encompasses the entire novel of Number the Stars. It includes reader response, retell, themes, discussion questions and creative activities.

The Digital Resource brings together elements of the Character and Setting resource and the Whole Novel resource in a resource designed to be used on Google Slides or other compatible digital platforms.

Have you read Number the Stars with your students? Share your experience in the comments

Related posts to read:

• Using Boy Overboard in the Classroom

• Introduction to Rowan of Rin: Classroom Discussions and Teaching Resources

• Introducing The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1)

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

Book of the Day Teaching Ideas: The Flair for Imagination Edition

Each weekday I share picture books for the classroom and teaching ideas over at the Galarious Goods Instagram account. Now I’m happy to share them here with you.

A Flair for Hair by Bilyana DiCostanza

What are some of the different ways hair can be styled? This book presents different hairstyles . . . and how they look on a range of different animals.

This is a great inspiration for students to explore how a hairstyle might be created and to create their own procedure text - it could be as simple as combing your hair or as complicated as braiding!

My Teacher for President by Kay Winters

This is a great book looking at the qualities needed for a great president - and the on-the-job experience a teacher has which might make them the perfect choice.

This is a great way to look at the different jobs a president does and to think about why those jobs are important.

Get the book study for My Teacher for President here.

Puffling by Margaret Wild

Book of the Day - Puffling

Puffling is just a little bird who wants to go out - but needs to be kept safe.

This is the perfect introductory text for looking at habitats - especially the habitats required for baby animals.

The House That Cleaned Itself by Laura Dershewitz and Susan Romberg

This biographical picture book tells the story of Frances Gabe - the inventor who designed and built a house which cleaned itself.

There’s so many possible activities to accompany this book, including asking students to design a device which would make their own lives easier.

Get the book study for The House That Cleaned Itself here

Read more about The House That Cleaned Itself Here

Rainbow Bear by Stephen Michael King

Why is Bear so colourful? This gently mystery allows the reader to explore what polar bears do . . . and to imagine them in different colour schemes.

Students can design their own rainbow bear, thinking about different colours or designs they might like to use.

Related posts to read:

• 5 Places You Can Find Picture Books

• Five Ways to Explore Picture Books in the Classroom

• 5 Reasons to Explore The House that Cleaned Itself in the Classroom

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

10 Great Books About Space Exploration for Your Classroom

I’ll admit it! In our family we are space fans. We watch documentaries and movies about space, we go to space exhibitions at the museum and we read space books. 

A lot of space books.

Here’s 10 of my favourite books about space for your classroom library.

1. Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker

With the success of the movie Hidden Figures, more people now know about the contribution of Katherine Johnson and her fellow ‘computers’ when it came to getting men to the moon - and home again. This lovely picture book memoir allows children to also learn about this history. It follows Katherine’s life from when she was a young, enthusiastic learner, through to some of the challenges she faced to get an appropriate education through to her achievements. 

2. One Giant Leap by Don Brown

This is another memoir, but instead of focusing on the hidden figures behind the space program, it looks at arguably the most famous public face - Neil Armstrong. In 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first person to step on the surface of the moon. In the book, the author chooses to focus on Neil’s childhood and his wish to fly and on the Apollo 11 mission and the moon landing. By choosing just 2 focal points, students are able to draw connections between the boy who worked hard to fly and the man who worked hard to walk on the moon. 

3. Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin

This beautifully illustrated picture book is written by the second man to walk on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. It’s a longer book by the first two, but a fantastic overview of Buzz’s life from childhood until the moon landing and a wonderful insight into what an astronaut is actually thinking about and why they think they were able to succeed. 

4. Moonwalkers by Mark Greenwood

Like One Giant Leap and Reaching for the Moon, this is a story about the Apollo 11 mission and the first moon landing. However, instead of focusing on the astronauts, it focuses on the people watching the landing back on Earth. Billy lives near The Dish, and he wishes he can be an astronaut. The book shows us the elements of the mission through Billy’s craft projects, through the games he plays, through his dreams and through the viewing of the first steps on the family television. Terry Denton’s illustrations are particularly wonderful in this book - especially the spread showing the 20 steps to get the astronauts to the moon and back again.

5. To the Stars by Carmella Van Vleet and Dr Kathy Sullivan

Kathy Sullivan was the first woman to complete a space walk. Like other picture book memoirs about astronauts, this one explores some of the interests and characteristics she showed as a child and compares it with their achievements as adults. This one doesn’t follow a linear narrative, though, instead going back and forward to make direct connections. This interesting story telling style is well worth exploring with students.

6. The Astronaut with a Song for the Stars by Julia Finley Mosca

This memoir of Dr Ellen Ochoa is a bit different from the other memoirs - because it’s written in a delightful rhyming style. As well as examining Ellen’s childhood, this book looks at the influence of her family and their experiences. This book also connects nicely with Reaching for the Moon - emphasising the importance for both Buzz Aldrin and Ellen Ochoa of learning more to achieve. This book with additional information and a timeline included is a wonderful way to explore persistence.

You can find a book study for The Astronaut with a Song for the Stars - and a free resource! - at the Galarious Goods shop

7. The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion

Chris Hadfield became well known for his communication and songs from the International Space Station. However, this book focuses mostly on a child, Chris, who loves space and rockets, but is scared of the dark. When he watched the Apollo 11 moon landing he gains a different perspective on the dark and the wonders it holds.

8. On the Moon by Anna Milbourne

This is a special book to me, because we actually bought it at The Dish mentioned in Mark Greenwood’s Moonwalkers! This is a book aimed at younger readers showing a young girl who is interested in space and the moon. The book walks through what happened on a typical moon landing mission, from the launch to the landing and home again. This would be a great one to have in a lower grades class or for new readers.

9. Penguinaut by Marcie Colleen

It’s amazing how many picture books feature animals deciding to go to the moon! This lovely picture book is one of those, following the story of Orville the small penguin who has a lot of big friends with big adventures. So he devises a big adventure of his own - a trip to the moon - which he will complete on his own. There’s a lot to explore in this book and it’s a lovely companion to the non-fiction books.

10. Curiosity by Markus Motum

On the day my son was born, a little rover landed on Mars. That rover was Curiosity and this beautiful book is Curiosity’s story. It tells the reader why rovers were built, how they were built and how they were launched to Mars. It’s a beautiful non-fiction book which examines the history of the rovers while allowing room for further curiosity when it comes to space exploration.

Have you used any of these books in your classroom? Share your experiences in the comments.

Related posts to read:

• 12 Books to Read After Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas

• Exploring Australian Picture Books About Weather

• 7 Great Books to Integrate With Australian History and Social Studies

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

Book of the Day Teaching Ideas: The No Biting Edition

Each weekday I share picture books for the classroom and teaching ideas over at the Galarious Goods Instagram account. Now I’m happy to share them here with you.

Wolf Won’t Bite! by Emily Gravett

When three pigs capture a wolf, they know they can do anything with him . . . because wolf won’t bite. This is such a good book for exploring how an author can build anticipation.

Students can explore the motivation of the three pigs and why they’re engaging in these activities in wolf. And how they might feel when it comes to the inevitable end.

I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon

This book explores what might happen when you happen to eat your best friend and you have to go on a hunt for a new friend. A funny story with an unexpected ending

Students can definitely use this story to explore what friendship is and what makes someone a friend.

Get the book study for I Just Ate My Friend here

The Wonderful Wisdom of Ants by Philip Bunting

This beautiful non-fiction book is perfect for taking a closer look at ants - a must have for any mini-beast study.

The author excels at sharing information through diagrams and pictures in the text. Students can explore these and use what they uncover to create their own diagrams.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

In this vibrant book, CJ wants to know why they are taking the bus. His Nana helps him look around him - to really look - and take notice of what’s important.

Students can use this to look at the point of view of the different characters in the story. They can draw pictures or write explanations of how they different characters see the world.

The Fabulous Friend Machine by Nick Bland

Nick Bland’s book is a must have for students exploring digital literacy and cyber security. The book uses an allegory to explore what can happen when we don’t actually see who’s on the other end of our online conversations.

Students can use this book as a model to write their own warning story about technology and to explore how technology and the online world can be explored responsibly.

Related posts to read:

• 5 Places You Can Find Picture Books

• Five Ways to Explore Picture Books in the Classroom

• Exploring Australian Picture Books About Weather

• Three Different Ways to Explore Poetry in your Classroom

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram

How Not to Teach the Vocabulary of a Novel (and 4 ways to teach it instead)

Are you about to read a new novel with your class and you want to concentrate on vocabulary? Here’s a cautionary tale about how not to teach vocabulary with a classroom novel . . . and four ideas to improve vocabulary when exploring a novel sized piece of text.

When I was in high school, we were assigned a classic novel to read as a class. This classic novel was filled with vocabulary words which were unfamiliar or less familiar to us. To help us with this, our teacher gave us a vocabulary list . . . and then told us to define every word as we read the novel.

It turned the reading experience into an absolute slog. Every time I read a new chapter, I had to haul out a dictionary (these were pre-internet dictionary times!), search for the words in the list, look them up, write out the definition and then figure out what it meant in the context of the text. By the time I got a few pages into the chapter, I’d forgotten what happened at the start of the chapter and I’d have to start again. It completely frustrated the whole class and many students gave up on the novel altogether.

But how can you still focus on vocabulary without taking away the enjoyment of the novel? Here’s four ideas to try in your class - don’t forget you can mix and match them as you like.

1. Introduce Vocabulary Before You Start

One thing to reflect on is why you are exploring vocabulary. If you’re teaching dictionary skills, that can be done with any collection of words and probably shouldn’t be connected to a novel. If you’re trying to make it easier for students to understand the text, though, why not introduce any complex words before they start?

This is a great way to use vocabulary lists. Present them to the students before you explore a chapter or make them available for students to access while they’re reading. Students can use the list to identify any words they’re not sure of, they can engage in discussions about what those words might mean or they can look them up.

By doing this, students aren’t spending ‘busy time’ defining words they already know the meaning of and they’re already aware that there’ll be some words which they’ll have to think about when they’re reading. If they haven’t looked them up yet, they might be able to use context clues to get a better understanding of the word, if they have looked them up, then they’ll approach the text with that additional knowledge.

This is also a good way just to get students thinking about language used in a book, even if they don’t define them. They’re seeing that words and word choice is important, allowing for further discussions about this while they read.

2. Go On a Vocabulary Hunt

As students read a chapter or several set chapters, challenge them to find any interesting words - or words which are used in interesting ways. Students can make a quick note of these words in their notebook or on a post it note to come back to later.

When they’ve finished reading, students can compare the words they’ve found. They might like to see if there were any words which several students identified and discuss why those words stood out to the students. Students can also compare their words with a prewritten vocabulary list or make their own vocabulary list for the chapter or chapters.

Once students have these words they might like to add them to a classroom display of words or an online shared file. This student led activity opens the door for further exploration of the language used and serves as a prompt for students to use some of these words in their own writing.

3. Examine a Vocabulary Word in Context

This requires only one vocabulary word. However, if you have a lot of words to explore, you can assign different words to different students or different pairs of students. Ask the students to locate the word in the text and to write down the sentence it’s used in. The students can then explore how it works within the sentence - what type of word is it? Does it evoke a feeling or an emotion? Is it part of figurative language?

When students have discussed the word, they can try substituting a different word into the sentence. They can examine it to see if another word could work better or how it might change the sentence if another word was used.

4. Group the Vocabulary

Once students have a group of vocabulary words - either from a vocabulary list or a group they have created themselves, students can look at how these words might relate to each other. Students can organise the words into smaller groups, based on any characteristics they like. Working in a small group or partners, they can discuss why different words might belong in a certain group or why they should be in a different group. They can then try to rearrange them into new groups based on different characteristics.

This activity is a way of making the vocabulary from a novel more familiar to students, so they are more likely to identify it if they come across it in another context. Allowing students time to give characteristics to a word or to make connections with other words, allows the words to become part of their schema - generally making them better readers!

How do you teach vocabulary when you read class novels? Share your experiences in the comments.

Related posts to read:

• 3 Ways to Engage Students with Folding Vocabulary Lessons

• Addressing Controversial Topics in the Classroom

• 3 Ways Students Can Use Folding Resources to Make Comparisons

Looking for more?

• Follow the Galarious Goods TpT shop

• Follow Galarious Goods on Facebook

• Follow Galarious Goods on Pinterest

• Follow Galarious Goods on Instagram