Theme

I like how this article sets classrooms up for discussing “the MEssage” of movies, songs, and other familiar things to their lives before the class-based literature. This is a great way to engage reluctant readers. 

A great quote from “11 Essential Tips for Teaching Theme in Language Arts” to help clarify theme vs. main idea: 

“Each time students read, they’re entering into a conversation with the author about what matters”

Teaching Kids to Interpret Theme: The Limits of Practice

I liked this blog post but I felt like it was more critical of teachers and didn’t offer a lot of great suggestions. I agree that “[i]nstruction should help kids to think about that information more effectively; to remember more if it; to analyze it more deeply.” I do like the graphic organizer and can see how breaking this down could help students to understand theme in a more complex book! 

To find a central theme of all three articles, I feel like they are all focusing on how finding the theme is engaging with the author about what is important - how the message of the book can relate to and improve their life or the world.