Reading Resources for 6-8
Books.
Create a library for middle school students with culturally-diverse literature that teaches SEL skills.
Hover over an image for a description of the book, or click on an image to be redirected to a page where you can purchase.
Strategies.
Meaningful ways to teach texts to middle school students while incorporating SEL.
Click the hyperlinks to be taken to the full article about the strategy.
1. Create Conversation: Start class with a check-in, such as having students provide a "rose" or a positive of their day, and a
"thorn" or a negative thing that has happened that day. Provide students with sentence starters or "talk moves" so that all
students can participate and feel involved in conversations about the literature. This allows students to share their
thoughts and ideas while also creating relationships with their peers. (Check out the video below for more information).
"thorn" or a negative thing that has happened that day. Provide students with sentence starters or "talk moves" so that all
students can participate and feel involved in conversations about the literature. This allows students to share their
thoughts and ideas while also creating relationships with their peers. (Check out the video below for more information).
2. Model Resilience: Select novels that showcase diverse and resilient characters who are able to overcome challenges. Have
students participate in discussions where they identify the challenges characters face and how the characters overcome
these struggles, along with what emotions the character experiences during these times.
students participate in discussions where they identify the challenges characters face and how the characters overcome
these struggles, along with what emotions the character experiences during these times.
3. Fishbowl: Have students gather in a circle (fishbowl) to discuss the novel. Ask questions about the characters and have
students relate it to their own lives, or have students discuss how the novel may not pertain to them and how they might
feel if they were in a position similar to the character's.
students relate it to their own lives, or have students discuss how the novel may not pertain to them and how they might
feel if they were in a position similar to the character's.
4. Get Current: Have students read news articles (try Newsela) relate it to the novels you are reading. Once students realize
that there are connections between the novels and the "real world," have students participate in social action projects or
write pieces in which they take a character and place them in a present-day social situation.
that there are connections between the novels and the "real world," have students participate in social action projects or
write pieces in which they take a character and place them in a present-day social situation.
In Action.
Watch the video below to learn about "talk moves" in the ELA classroom.