Using Novel Studies In Your Reading Programme

There are many ways to explore brilliant novels in your reading programme. Novel studies can be a great way to dive deeper into your class read-aloud novel. You can also use novel studies to provide a structure for your literature circles and to build oral language skills through discussions. To read more about using literature circles in your reading programme, click here.

In this blog post, I break down our popular novel study resources and share a free resource with you, based on the fantastic and multi-award-winning book, Mophead by Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh.

Our Novel Study Reading Resources

Our novel study reading resources are intended to be used as a comprehension, discussion, and activity guide to accompany engaging novels.

Each study splits the novel up into sections. Each section varies in size due to the number of pages and the nature of the content. Some sections call for more reflection and discussion than others.

For each section of the novel study, there are:

  • Reading comprehension questions
  • Weblinks and QR codes for students to find out more about the content discussed
  • Six to eight creative activity choices (including digital and non-digital options)
  • A Keep the Quote section.
    • The Keep the Quote’s are a collection of quotes from the novel that can be cut out and ‘kept’ in an exercise book or notebook. These quotes can then be used to explore the deeper meanings and inferences further, used to make text-to-text or text-to-self connections, illustrated creatively, or another purpose of the teacher’s choosing.
  • Each section also includes discussion questions for oral language development in the classroom, designed to be used with pairs or small groups of students.

Our Novel Study Resources

Check out some of our popular novel studies here:

You can find our growing range of novel studies here or as part of our reading membership.

Did you say freebie?

When I read the book Mophead, I just knew I had to create a resource to support it. Written by Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh, this book is just phenomenal. It’s hard to put it in a category: Graphic novel? Memoir? Poem? It really is its own genre – and just like the themes of the book, it is proud to stand out and be unique! Check out some of the awards it won:

  • Margaret Mahy Book of the Year – New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults (2020)
  • Elsie Locke Award for Non-fiction – New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults (2020)
  • Storylines Notable Book Award – Storylines Notable Non-fiction (age range from 3 years to 18 years) (2020)
  • Gerard Reid Award for Best Book – PANZ Book Design Awards (2020)
  • Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book – PANZ Book Design Awards (2020)
  • Publishers Association of New Zealand People’s Choice Award – PANZ Book Design Awards (2020)

The themes that can be explored in this book are deep and profound – being an individual, celebrating difference and uniqueness, personal pride, resilience, finding your voice, celebrating your culture and heritage… and MORE!

I’ve put together a free Mini Novel Book Study on Mophead that you can find in our freebie library (included is a set for Year 3-4 and a set for Year 5-8. This resource features follow-up activities and discussion questions to explore this book further. If you haven’t got this book yet, get it today – you will definitely want your own copy to cherish.

Everybody likes a freebie

A collaborative reading activity, sure to engage your sports-mad students. Using the information sheet and their own independent research (QR codes and additional web links are included), students present their learning about Richie McCaw. Use as an A4 poster or use the large poster pieces that make an A2 poster… and yes, it's FREE.

A collaborative reading activity, sure to engage your sports-mad students. Using the information sheet and their own independent research (QR codes and additional web links are included), students present their learning about Richie McCaw. Use as an A4 poster or use the large poster pieces that make an A2 poster… and yes, it’s FREE. Click here to download this free resource today.

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