New! Middle School Program, Grades 7-8

The first unit in a series of 6-10 units for middle school is now available for preorder!

New to the Read Side by Side Reading Program are units to introduce classic literature and popular titles while building students' analytical reading skills. Students advance from learning to read like a detective, to learning to read like a professor as they analyze the plot and character arc while reading.

The program structure combines read-aloud and book clubs in order to provide explicit teacher modeling followed by differentiated guided practice. Expect each unit to take approximately 50-days to complete.

During the read-aloud instruction, students will read along with the teacher and participate in independent reading and writing activities to build their skill. The read-aloud will be an anchor text preparing them for the work of book clubs.

During the book club instruction, students will be matched to one of three texts. They will complete assignments independently and meet with their teacher and peers to discuss the book in book clubs. Vocabulary, comprehension, and analytical reading and writing skills will be practiced.

Each unit in the middle school program will showcase a character archetype.

Volume 1 presents the orphan archetype and features the following titles:

Read Aloud: The Secret Garden

Book Clubs:

• The False Prince,
• Anne of Green Gables, and
• Oliver Twist.

Volume 2 presents the time traveler archetype and features the following titles:

Read Aloud: A Christmas Carol

Book Clubs:

• The Last Musketeer,
• The Devil's Arithmetic, and
• The Missing: Sent.

Volume 3 presents the rescuer archetype and features the following titles:

Read Aloud: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team

Book Clubs:

• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh,
• One Wrong Step, and
• Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad

The CIA Approach

The CIA (Collect-Interpret-Apply) approach will be elevated for middle school by teaching both the plot line and character arc. When students break the text into quadrants, their attention will be drawn to the big changes in the plot line, and the big changes in the character arc. Classroom posters and student bookmarks support students with these analytical reading skills.