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sarahbaileyreads's review
5.0
This book is a game changer for educators looking to incorporate workshop model into a middle school setting. The ideas in this book are practical and could easily be implemented tomorrow.
There is community in a whole class novel, there is power in choice, and there is grace for teachers willing to foster an environment where struggle and celebrations live in harmony. Well done, Kate, you’ve joined my teaching idols club!
There is community in a whole class novel, there is power in choice, and there is grace for teachers willing to foster an environment where struggle and celebrations live in harmony. Well done, Kate, you’ve joined my teaching idols club!
lmurphy93's review
5.0
Next year will be my second year of 6th grade ELA. This book has left me inspired and motivated for changes in my instruction. Our curriculum doesn’t leave much room for novels (a complete shame), but I know it is something I want to incorporate in the next year. This book provided me with the tools and strategies necessary for implementing both whole group and book club novels. It has left me so excited for next year!
melrosebreed's review
5.0
Kate Roberts makes me want to revolutionize my teaching. Now, how to do that in a pandemic ...
j_lange's review
5.0
ELA books I've read pretty much fall under two camps: 80% are nitty gritty strategies (Notice and Note, Deeper Reading, Write Like This) and 20% are big picture, philosophical, or planning books (180 Days, Book Love, The Book Whisperer). A Novel Approach may sound like a strategy book, and it does have some strategies, but really and truly it is more in the second camp of big picture books than the nitty gritty. As such, I think this is an excellent book if you are new to ELA teacher life and need a basic framework to think about how the heck do I plan a useful unit, and you maybe are uncomfortable with some of the older books on the topic, or you have been doing this work for a while and you feel like there is just something that bothers you about the current state of affairs in your school or classroom.
Things I really liked: Kate opens by acknowledging the uncomfortable elephant in the ELA teaching world, but doesn't get too bogged down in the political, charter vs. public, etc world. I adore the teaching videos- thanks Kate +Heinemann! Kate uses analogies and metaphors in her writing that are really useful to understand sometimes complicated concepts clearly and with humor. She models writing personally and with compassion, both in talking about students and in opening and closing the book talking about her father. This book also makes a strong argument for more diverse books and authors, something that we need to explicitly and loudly promote.
Things that made me pause: I know because of my own experience with ELA teacher books where to go for more extensive strategies, but I can imagine their would be moments where a newbie teacher would want a box with a list of authors or books that might be helpful. Their are definite references throughout the book, but almost every chapter could inspire further research. The parts of the book about formative assessment were very good, but the summative assessment discussions did not acknowledge fully how little control many teachers have on this topic. I think it's a bigger problem than the scope of the book, but I expected more of an acknowledgement.
Things I really liked: Kate opens by acknowledging the uncomfortable elephant in the ELA teaching world, but doesn't get too bogged down in the political, charter vs. public, etc world. I adore the teaching videos- thanks Kate +Heinemann! Kate uses analogies and metaphors in her writing that are really useful to understand sometimes complicated concepts clearly and with humor. She models writing personally and with compassion, both in talking about students and in opening and closing the book talking about her father. This book also makes a strong argument for more diverse books and authors, something that we need to explicitly and loudly promote.
Things that made me pause: I know because of my own experience with ELA teacher books where to go for more extensive strategies, but I can imagine their would be moments where a newbie teacher would want a box with a list of authors or books that might be helpful. Their are definite references throughout the book, but almost every chapter could inspire further research. The parts of the book about formative assessment were very good, but the summative assessment discussions did not acknowledge fully how little control many teachers have on this topic. I think it's a bigger problem than the scope of the book, but I expected more of an acknowledgement.
manda2491's review
4.0
Roberts delivers an innovative reader-friendly guide to teaching whole class novels. Her ideas are organized neatly, making them seem easy to implement in the classroom. The most compelling part of her argument is shortening the time teachers spend on novels while focusing that time on mini lessons, choice, key activities, and differentiated instructions.
While I know the supplemental materials are available online, I would have benefited from more substantial visual aids instead of the sized down, handwritten exhibits that were included.
While I know the supplemental materials are available online, I would have benefited from more substantial visual aids instead of the sized down, handwritten exhibits that were included.
reading_rachel's review
5.0
Kate Roberts writes with so much experience but with so much humility that you can really picture her as your colleague. I feel like she is rooting for me and my students in every part of this book. I also love how she sprinkles in personal anecdotes/metaphors that are both extremely helpful and made me laugh out loud. If you’re teaching any kind of reading in your (probably grade 4 up) classes, this book is for you.