I’ve been reading novels all year with my students, but it feels like a clandestine act of subterfuge. I’ve had to claw back minutes from a disjointed ELA curriculum that I’m supposed to be teaching with fidelity. But it’s worth it.

Your writing and others give me the inspiration, and evidence, to continue.

Today, my fourth grade class finished the complete novel “Out of My Mind” about a brilliant girl with cerebral palsy.

A boy, with emotion in his voice, reflected that he would, “Never look at someone with a disability in the same way ever again.” Others chimed in with similar sentiments. These reactions were only possible because we read the whole story.

In our basal, it was presented as an out of context excerpt.

When we finished Number the Stars, another young boy literally leapt out of his seat and loudly exclaimed, “That was the best book ever!”

Kids aren’t getting to experience full novels in school anymore— it’s a tragedy.

It’s not just that disconnected ELA curriculum are ineffective, but they are robbing students of these experiences.

So keep up the good work! I, for one, read every post.