A Christmas Carol

Who are Cover to Cover Reading Guides for?

Cover to Cover Reading Guides are perfect for primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, international educators, teachers working in specialist schools, teaching assistants, student teachers, home educators, tutors and parents.

 

Why should I use a Cover to Cover Reading Guide?

A Cover to Cover Reading Guide will:

• save you vast amounts of planning and preparation time.
• provide you with the necessary knowledge to confidently deliver high-quality reading sessions.
• give you ideas to help you immerse your learners in the world of the novel so they gain a greater understanding of the text as a whole.
• help you to lead in-depth, engaging discussions with your learners.

 

How will I receive my Cover to Cover Reading Guide?

As soon as you’ve paid, you’ll be able to download your Cover to Cover Reading Guide and our handy How to Use document as a Zip file and save it on your computer. Both documents are PDFs and the Cover to Cover Reading Guides are formatted so they can be printed as a booklet if you wish to make a hard copy.

 

How can they be used?

They can be used for whole class reading sessions, guided group reading sessions, to support reluctant readers and for individual home learning sessions.

 

What do they provide?

• The overview for teachers includes information about the author and a thorough synopsis of the novel which highlights its main themes.
• Descriptions of literary techniques include main characters, settings, narrative techniques, structure and language. Special features such as motif, caricature, juxtaposition and allegory are also explored.
• Optional pre-reading activities encourage children to engage with the world of the novel before reading and gain the background knowledge necessary to access the novel successfully. Activities include research and discussion opportunities.
• Suggested stopping places provide skillfully designed discussion questions that encourage children to become absorbed in the text, think deeply about literary techniques and gain knowledge, experience, insight and enjoyment from reading.
• Optional post-reading activities provide ideas and opportunities for children to respond to the whole novel, broaden their thinking and use their knowledge in different contexts.

 

Do I need to have read the novel before I work with my learners?

Although it is advisable, it is not essential to read the novel beforehand because the guide gives you a detailed synopsis of the plot, main characters, themes and literary techniques included.

 

Do you need to use all the questions in the Cover to Cover Reading guides?

No, you don’t need to use all the questions. It’s best practice to select the questions that you feel will best suit the needs of your learners.

 

Do you need to wait until you get to the stopping places to ask questions?

No, you don’t need to wait. You can ask questions whenever you feel it is most appropriate for your learners. For example, you may want to help your learners to explore new, complex vocabulary; consider the actions of characters; or understand plot twists in between the designated stopping places.

 

Why aren’t answers to the questions provided in the guide?

The Cover to Cover Reading Guides are an educator’s teaching aid rather than a resource to be used independently by learners, so answers to the questions are not provided. The comprehension questions are designed to prompt in-depth discussions, immerse the learners in the novel and promote a love of reading rather than generate written responses.

 

What vocabulary should I focus on during my reading sessions?

Identify and highlight vocabulary that is essential to your learners’ understanding of the text as well as ambitious, tier 2 vocabulary such as ‘thunderous’ and ‘dilapidated’ and subject-specific, tier 3 vocabulary such as ‘immunologist’ and ‘cardiovascular’. Use pupil-friendly language and pictures to explain the meaning of words, rather than dictionary definitions.

 

How many pre- and post-reading activities do learners need to complete?

It is entirely up to you. There are a range to choose from so that you can select the activities that will best suit your learners.

 

How do you use pre-reading debate questions successfully?

You can use the debating questions in a variety of ways. For example, you could lead an open-ended class discussion; assign a debate question and time limit to a small group of children and then ask them to present their conclusions to the class; select one of the questions and hold a formal debate and teach learners how to make points and support them with evidence; or you could even present a debate questions as a written task.

 

How does the Cover to Cover Reading Guide help me to deliver the English National Curriculum?

The guides adhere to the DfE’s Reading Framework’s guidance, as well as covering some of the National Curriculum Reading objectives.

 

Are Cover to Cover Reading Guides suitable for international learners who follow a different curriculum?

The Cover to Cover Reading Guides have been written for a collection of classic, popular and high-quality novels which are enjoyed by readers around the world. They introduce learners to a variety of universal themes and literary techniques, and many can be used by international educators who follow a different curriculum, if the novels are suitable for the needs of their learners.