A common rite of passage for students is to read a novel for an English class and then be expected to write an analytical paper on it. But is formal literary analysis the best way to help students connect with literature? In podcast Episode 262 Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss this question and consider two questions:
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At what age is it appropriate to introduce writing assignments based upon literature?
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How do you provide the vocabulary that enables students to think critically and discuss the literature that they are reading?
These questions plunge Andrew and Julie into more questions, for example, what pathway leads students to being able to write about literature. How do teachers engage their students into a meaningful, in depth, and relaxed conversation about literature? What impediments make literature discussion difficult? How do teachers engage all of their students in discussion?
It’s an engaging and relevant conversation. If you have wondered what role literature plays in your students’ education and how you can incorporate it to help your students think more critically, listen to the episode. You may gain a few nuggets of information that you can carry into your own classroom.
