Propp’s Propaganda
High School English teacher discusses high school curriculum and student issues
Reading Level or Content?
We have had a very interesting issue come up in the school that I teach in. Suddenly, there is an emphasis on the grade level of the books we teach in English class. I was wondering how English teachers select the novles they will teach in class. Do you worry about the reading level, do you consider the content and how well the students react to it? Or, do you consider the reading level of the majority of your students and select a novel based on that? What really matters in selecting a good novel to teach? Since I teach 11th grade English I am also curious as to what novels you do in your classes? A list would be great!
1 Comment So Far
actually the novels we teach were set when I arrived four years ago… there’s only been one change. We moved To Kill A Mockingbird from freshman to sophomore courses because it seemed to fit better with the theme of sophomore year.
While I don’t have a huge choice on what I do teach, I think more about what I’m using a particular book to teach, rather than the specific reading level. If I’m really wanting them to explore the theme and analyze how the author is creating that theme, a difficult reading level can hinder that goal, especially for those lower readers and concrete thinkers.
