Chunking the Text
The time frame for reading the first book is ten days. I recommend reading the first two chapters outloud to the students. Have a discussion with the students about the characters at great length. I have learned, by experience, that it is possible to look into the many facets of character. For example, take the character of Edmund Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. When reading the book there are many things about Edmund that can be pointed out. Edmund is the third oldest of the Pevensie children. This information may appear to be irrelevant but a lot can be doted on about the roles and actions of the birth order of a child. It is also noted that he is the youngest of the males in the story. The reader identifies Edmund's character throughout the story. The many things that Edmund can be called are: spiteful, mean, greedy, and remorseful. He also displays the roles of a bully, a brat and a traitor.
It is important to make the characters come alive. In the Appendix, there are Lost and Found guided questions. Use the questions to bring out the important details within each chapter. Asking the right questions helps develop the character traits of each individual character in the book. When students delve into the characters within the story, the reader becomes attached to that character. The first book is the catalyst to spark independent reading.
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