Calling all Middle School Language Arts Teachers!
What if…
I told you that teaching reading comprehension doesn’t have to make you feel overwhelmed, confused, or scattered?
What if…
There was a simple and logical approach that would help you feel confident, effective, and prepared?
Here’s the reality…
Most intermediate students enter middle school with an elementary background in reading composed of phonics, decoding strategies, and general reading strategies like inferencing, summarizing, sequencing, etc.
They are met with enthusiastic secondary teachers eager to dig into meaningful literature and discuss things like the author’s use of language, literary devices, idea development, and more.
But there’s a gap between those two worlds, and bridging that gap between basic reading comprehension and complex literary analysis is often overlooked.
The problem isn’t you.
Unfortunately, most organizations don’t adequately prepare secondary teachers for these in-between kids, and you may not have the time, resources, or mentor to guide you through.
It’s no wonder you are overwhelmed & frustrated!
The secret?
Start treating your Language Arts class like an Intro to Literature course.
Teach your students the foundational elements of literature. Make sure they have a solid understanding of:
- The Elements of Fiction
- The Elements of Nonfiction
- The Elements of Argument
- The Elements of Poetry
- The Elements of Drama
By teaching your middle school reading units from a simple, structured, and logical approach, you will help your students see patterns from one text to the next. Patterns build familiarity, and familiarity builds competence.