Saturday, January 9, 2016

Useful Tools for Readers






Identifying the elements of a novel is a skill that will help your student gain appreciation for the books that they read. Once they are proficient in identifying the elements in this lesson, it will be easy for them to discuss and write about the novels they are assigned or those they choose to read. 

After your students finish reading a novel, this guide will help them identify the following elements:

Plot (Exposition, Complications, Climax, Resolution)
Setting
Conflict (s)
Protagonist
Antagonist
Major Characters
Point of View
Tone
Theme(s)
Narrative Techniques
Frame Story
Flashback
Letters of a Diary
Dialect
Symbolism
Parable
Satire or Parody
Verbal Irony
Situational Irony
Dramatic Irony
Foreshadowing


Reading a novel is a rewarding experience, and especially so if one knows what literary techniques the author used to enrich his or her writing. As the student reads, it is helpful to keep a reading reaction journal in which they can take notes to use for future reference.

Click here for a lesson that shows students how to keep a Reading Reaction Journal that will help them remember and analyze what they have read. Teachers can use the journal to evaluate whether or not students are doing a close reading of assigned literary works. 

This is a valuable tool for you and your students, and it is especially useful as a study tool for AP students while reading advanced literary selections. 



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