Hi Chris, I agree that this probably could be a very frustrating novel for lower students, however I think it is workable.
Here are my suggestions: could you get a copy of "Illustrated Classics" or something and maybe use an Elmo projector to project pages onto a screen? Maybe the illustrated classics could be used as a preview? The other things you could try are: •using some of Jeffrey Wilhelm's drama strategies from Action Strategies for Comprehension or using some of his visualizing strategies from You Gotta Be the Book or Reading is Seeing. •My last suggestion would be to use advance organizers to connect the text to their lives as much as possible, as well as maybe previewing concepts and vocabulary. You might want to break up the reading; maybe you could read one chapter aloud while they follow along or play a tape-recording of the novel? Then they could read one chapter in pairs, one independently? I hope at least one of these suggestions will help you:) Good luck! May Dartez 6-8 Title LA Georgia On Jul 19, 2007, at 12:41 PM, Chris Booker wrote: > Hello all- > This is my first time posting, although I've been reading and learning > from the list for more than a year. I teach in a middle school where > The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a required part of the curriculum for > 7th grade. I totally disagree with that, but at this point don't have > a choice. This year I will be teaching a Resource English class for > the first time so I will be required to teach this book and I am > TERRIFIED! I think it is difficult for even the best readers at this > age, but my struggling special ed students will wig out! I am looking > for suggestions to make the text more accessible to these students and > reduce their frustration as much as possible! > > Thanks > Chris > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
