While Better World Books is selling and donating books worldwide, a company called A Novel Time is promoting global literacy in a different way! A Novel Time is an online language arts enrichment program for children in 4th and 5th grade as well as 6th and 7th grade from across the world. The rigorous, novel-based online curriculum was designed by veteran traditional and online language arts teacher, Joanna Azar, M.Ed. With A Novel Time’s language arts enrichment curriculum, students will become more critical readers, writers and thinkers, while engaging in online creative writing and text-based discussions with peers from around the world, creating empowered 21st century learners. Joanna was kind enough to contribute this write-up about A Novel Time.
How does A Novel Time work?
- Students will be using A Novel Time’s online classroom in Educadium to get weekly assignments based on 3 novels as well as post and complete their discussions, blogs and quizzes.
- Due date provided each week for work to be submitted, no “real-time.”
- Read 3 books over the 10 week period, each book is broken up over 3 weeks, with week 10 used to compare/contrast 3 books as a theme.
- Complete weekly creative writing challenges (creative writing topic based on the week’s reading).
- Engage with their peers in weekly guided discussion questions (critical writing using higher level thinking questions).
- Take comprehension quizzes each week based on reading (ensure comprehension is being mastered).
- Spend approximately 1 hour per day either reading or working on posting classroom assignments.
- Teacher monitors and interacts in Educadium virtual classroom and provides personalized, weekly written feedback, as well as final evaluation.
How is this different than the curriculum at school?
This class is offered to 4th-7th graders, specifically, as these are the ages where children may start to feel nervous or self-conscious about sharing and participating in their classes. With this class being online, they won’t have to worry about what their classmates are thinking, and therefore can push themselves to a much higher lever. Plus, they will be able to think about and edit their work before sharing. With the personalized, detailed, weekly written feedback from a veteran online and traditional classroom teacher – feedback far beyond a traditional classroom’s letter grade, check mark, or short remark feedback system – your child will be able to show marked improvement in their creative and critical reading, writing and thinking from week to week. They will also have the amazing experience of discussing books with peers from across the world, allowing them to analyze books through a different lens! This is the perfect way to supplement your school’s curriculum during the school year or enrich your child over the summer.
Through this course, your child will:
- Grow as a critical reader, writer and thinker.
- Enhance crucial technology aptitude.
- Strengthen independence and self-motivation.