Reading is one of those things that can be difficult for many students. Mrs. Capp, however, makes sure to foster a love of reading by teaching it in a way that is engaging for all students through what she calls “Lit. Circles.”

“Lit. Circles” start off by students being put into small groups where each group reads a different historical fiction novel from a list of six and they then have weekly discussions on their book.

These discussions include things like predictions about what might happen next, a chance for students to talk about what they like best and least about the book along the way, and also a place to discuss what character they’d like to meet and why! This gets students thinking about the setting, conflicts, characters, themes, and more on a whole new level that goes beyond mere summary. 

Mrs. Capp also has students do character analysis through an “I Am” poem, and, once the book has been fully read, finishes things off with a choice board final project. This project includes fun options for students such as imagining their book is being made into a movie and to create a trailer for it, creating a beautiful collage of images and text of things from the book, or even designing a comic strip that illustrates a major scene from the novel.

There are nine options in total, all with the intent of giving students a deeper understanding of the novel, which in turn becomes a deeper joy for reading.