Doing well in school, across all subjects requires the ability to maintain focus, which is needed to learn and master new skills. When it comes to developing human intelligence and knowledge, being able to maintain focus while reading and learning is the most important skill of all.
So how does this work when it comes to reading and learning? Developing focus and sustained attention takes time and effort, as with anything worth doing. Being that kids spend most of their day in the classroom, this job really falls on teachers. This is easily done with quality literature, and I don’t mean classics.
There are many high-interest engaging novels for middle school students that will not only hold their attention but also build numerous skills that students will use for the rest of their schooling. Basically, a teacher’s main job is to instill the love of learning, and upper elementary grades are the last years before students are fully immersed in social media and constant smart-phone use (that has shown nothing but alarming trends of decreasing academic achievement, depression, and overall poor use of time).
Whole-class novel read-alouds have become a rarity in public schools, as the focus has shifted to incessant test prep. Yet, novel read-aloud fulfills almost all assessed standards on the state exam, from monitoring, clarifying, inferencing, retelling, summarizing, predicting, confirming, visualizing, synthesizing, theme analysis, lessons taught, plot and character development, point of view, perspective, central idea, supporting details, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, author’s craft analysis, new vocabulary, connection to self-world-other content, …. Did I miss anything? Of course, you can pull grammar, revising, and editing as well.
Novels not only cover all need standards, but they build student focus, reading stamina, love of learning, and build your classroom community. The hope is that we get our students ready for life, not a mere test, which we will all forget two days later.
Upper Elementary and Middle School Adventure Novels Books
The Last Mapmaker – by Christina Soontornvat Novel Guide
A Wish in the Dark – by Christina Soontornvat Novel Guide
Pony – R.J. Palacio Novel Guide
Upper Elementary and Middle School Novels for Kids Who Love Nature
The End of the Wild – by Nicole Helget Novel Guide
The Third Mushroom – Jennifer L. Holm Novel Guide
The Fourteenth Goldfish – Jennifer L. Holm Novel Guide
Manatee Summer – Evan Griffith Novel Guide
Upper Elementary and Middle School Novels About Growing Up
Turtle Boy – Evan Wolkenstein Novel Guide
We Dream of Space – Erin Entrada Kelly Novel Guide
A Duet for Home – Karina Yan Glaser Novel Guide
Playing the Cards You’re Delt – Varian Johnson Novel Guide
Starfish – Lisa Fipps
Mrs. Lena, M.Ed.
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Other Amazing Resources by Christina Soontornvat:
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