The House of Comprehension: Teaching Students Elements of Literature - Perfect for English Classrooms, Homeschooling & Book Clubs

Looking for an extra edge in your Language Arts classes? HOUSE OF COMPREHENSION is a "must-have" text for teaching literature in grades 6-9 and beyond. Connie Casserly is a life-long, exemplary teacher who has taught thousands of students--and has created positive management programs for juvenile offenders; served as an adviser of school newspapers and literary magazines; and is a prolific writer, blogger (teachitwrite.blogspot.com) and published novelist-- A FINE LINE focuses on teen dating abuse. Noted in Who's Who of American Teachers, Casserly has published articles in NCTE's Teaching Literature in High School: The Novel and a website, TeachItWrite.com.Casserly brings her wide range of experience in creating HOUSE OF COMPREHENSION which uses the metaphor of construction to build knowledge about literature and narrative non-fiction. Students of all levels advance in their skill of comprehending text by focusing on the elements of literature and their enhancement of one another.Based on the Common Core Standards, lessons include "Show Me/Help Me/Let Me" about the elements of literature, modeling how the elements create the story's structure. Teachers can modify ready-to-go lessons on Shakespeare and contemporary literature--each exercise is prefaced by a "How-to" that details a helpful "What/When/Why/How" for using the student-friendly worksheets. Teachers can print the "How-to" lessons and worksheets, and arrange them in a binder-- instructions on the left hand side and the student worksheet on the right hand side for easy access during instruction.Casserly covers a lot of needs found in typical classes--she gives timely suggestions for classes with TAG and ELD students, and includes fresh takes on "taboo words" with "15 Days to Lose the Taboos." "Reel Them In!" is a handy list for starting an essay and "Ten Sentence Format" guides students to complete essays as they synthesize their knowledge and understanding. In addition, extensive activities on developing a class newspaper provide non-fiction writing opportunities, the focus of Common Core Standards. In my classes, I have found these activities invaluable in addressing the diverse needs of high school students.For new and experienced teachers, this student-tested manual will provide a solid foundation for teaching literature of all kinds and opportunities for students to enjoy literature.Megan Trow GarciaFulbright New Century ScholarProfessors Beyond BordersGalapagos Projects, Inc.[...]Galápagos, EcuadorLiderazo InternacionalTrow Development[...]Google Certified TeacherEdOptions AcademyPlato Virtual AcademySalem, Oregon USASkype: megantrowgarcia