Using Literature to Support Skills and Critical Discussion for Struggling Readers: Grades 3-9

Emphasizing the need to develop higher-level thinking skills and critical discussion with intermediate and middle school struggling readers, Williams uses quality children’s literature as a springboard to help readers: understand and use descriptive vocabulary and figurative language, make personal connections with text, create and solve text related mathematical problems, promote an active, engaged discussion and critical analysis of the story and the important issues raised in text, extend meaning through research and writing, art, and drama. To help teachers match student to text, literature selections are categorized according to interest (e.g., mystery, sports, humor, identity/solving problems), genre, and include reading level, interest level, and number of pages. Discussion questions and extension activities_specific to over 100 children’s literature selections_provide opportunities for students to ask questions, discuss and use descriptive language, make predictions and inferences, evaluate story elements, and critically reflect on character perspectives and social issues raised in the text. All questions are appropriate for individual work, special education classrooms, general education and inclusion classrooms, and help teachers facilitate literature discussion groups, book club discussion and response writing, self-regulated reading, guided reading, and whole class discussions.