There is value in “teaching novels.”

I have to address something my principal said at a recent staff meeting. He was going on about how when his son only read novels in English and learned about interpreting them, then he wasn’t prepared for college. I have to disagree with this. First of all, this is how I learned English and most other people until a few years ago learned English. I don’t think we were all woefully under-prepared for college and life in the world. Secondly, when I “teach novels,” I’m doing a few different things. I am teaching a book that I like so much I want to share it with my students. We learn about different cultures and religions, make connections to current events and interpret the author’s purpose and intentions. The novel is the jumping off point for a host of different topics.

For example, when I have read Fences with my class, we talk about the Great Migration, family dynamics and discrimination. We read articles about August Wilson and compare the movie to the play. When we read Night, we learn about the Holocaust, faith, trauma and father/son relationships. These books serve as the anchor for these different texts and discussions and it’s short sighted to imply that teaching novels does not have value.

In addition, I have also taught students who have never finished a book until they have in my class. Reading a book from beginning to end build stamina and gives the students a sense of accomplishment that excerpts will never provide. Of course, it is appropriate for students to read excerpts but it is also worthwhile for them to read a whole book.

These new Common Core aligned curricula favor these excerpts and short texts so much so that students almost never learn to read a whole book. Isn’t that just as important to prepare them for college?