What Are the Advantages of the Choice Novel Unit?
When I announce the choice novel unit to my students (11th-grade English & AP Lit), the hype is real. Eyes light up. Fists pump. A few shout “Let’s gooooo!!!” No seriously, this is actually what happens in my classroom! So why wouldn’t I start to take a shine to this unit? The kids love it, and I’m still teaching them valuable ELA & real-world skills. It’s win-win!
As a high school English teacher, I love how much promise the choice novel unit holds. By empowering students to select and immerse themselves in books that actually pique their individual interests, we can increase student engagement and spark a lifelong love for reading. Kids who haven’t had a good reading experience since 6th or 7th grade find that they DO like reading again. It’s honestly magical.
At the heart of the choice-novel approach lies a fundamental understanding: when students have autonomy over their learning experience, they become more invested in their own intellectual journey. We all know how whole-class novel units sometimes leave some students disengaged and disinterested. I tend to tell them that we’ll be doing a ton of different stuff, and I hope that some of it will be an “I love it!” for them, but I know that not everything will. However, with choice novel units, every student has the chance to pick a book that resonates with him or her. Maybe it’s a book they’ve been wanting to read, but didn’t have time for, or maybe you as the teacher suggest something that meshes with what you know about the student’s likes and experiences…
Getting to choose what they’re going to read WILL make your students pretty excited, but the benefits of this approach extend far beyond simply making your students happy. First of all, by allowing choice, students have even more of a chance to explore diverse literary voices and genres in our classroom. Maybe I’m not a science fiction expert, and I haven’t included sci-fi novels or stories in my repertoire, or maybe I love science fiction, but couldn’t squeeze it into the curriculum. No worries! With the choice novel unit, sci-fi kids can read Bradbury, Clarke, or Le Guin to their hearts’ content!
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So, the kids will enjoy curling up with a novel of their choice, and many will be reminded that they actually LIKE reading for pleasure. That’s awesome! But there’s more to it! This choice novel unit can be your route to rigorous academic discourse and growth. Through carefully crafted essay and/or discussion prompts, you can challenge your students to analyze their novels critically, dissecting themes, characters, and literary devices on their own or with peers reading the same novel. What’s great is that they’re even MORE motivated to do this rigorous work when it’s a book THEY chose!
How Do I Implement the Unit?
I encourage my kids to choose a text that at least one other person is reading so that they can discuss their books together during discussion time. Small-group discussions are one of the most fun times in my classroom, and students always tell me how much they appreciate discussion in my class. They LOVE being given a chance to share their perspectives, learn from their peers, and challenge one another academically. Many of my 11th graders and AP Lit kids tell me how much they enjoyed being able to share their ideas, how they gained confidence in speaking in class, and how they would be EXCITED before class when they knew we’d be having a discussion! Isn’t that what we all want as teachers?? So, that’s awesome, first off!
Second, I give them a few one-pagers or “mini essays” throughout the unit to encourage critical thinking, text-based argumentation, and cited argumentation. These give me a chance to see more deeply into what they are reading and thinking about, AND I get a chance to respond in-depth and on a personal level to each kid and what he or she has written. Since it’s the end of the year, I often include positive comments about their talents, growth, and unique personalities as well, as these are the last essays we submit for feedback.
Last, the culminating project for my choice novel unit is always a book talk. To make it as professional and grown-up as possible, my book talk assignment combines literary analysis with persuasive speaking. I give them specific pilars to include in the book talk, encourage them to make it persuasive, and teach them what elements book talks usually have (and don’t have). As they craft their presentations (they tend to like to create a PowerPoint slide to go along with them), they hone essential skills in critical thinking, effective communication, and academic writing – skills that will serve them well beyond the ELA classroom! And when it’s finally time to present, other students love hearing about the books their peers read, and I always enjoy seeing what a great job they do “selling” their novel to the other kids! I know it works because many of my students end up checking out their peers’ choices from our school library!
At the end of the day, I LOVE my choice novel unit. I can see with my own eyes how it fosters a sense of ownership and pride in their learning among my students. When they have autonomy over what they are doing in my class, they are more invested and are more responsible when it comes to doing their classwork. They ask one another, “Are you ready for the discussion? Did you read up to the page we said we were going to?” and they always answer, “YES!!”
Intrinsic motivation is so important when it comes to making sure our kids become lifelong learners. I want to instill a love for literature in my students that will last, and this unit helps me do that!
When our kids have smartphones in their pockets, it can be hard to get them engaged and motivated to do school; however, the choice novel unit is a real winner. I love seeing them get into their books, have super lively conversations with each other, and feel that pride and excitement when they put another “notch” in their book-reading belt! You’ll love it, too. I promise! Just give it a chance one time, and you’ll see the magic!
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Do you have any recommendations for high school choice novel units? What books are on your list of options for students?
Share in the comments! I’d love to hear your suggestions and have my readers add to this conversation.
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About the Author: Carly Lamp has taught English 11/English III (American Lit) for 13 years & AP Literature for 10 years. She creates thorough, thoughtful, and rigorous materials, units, and resources for high school English teachers through her blog and her TPT store (both named English with Mrs. Lamp). She LOVES teaching high school English and helping new teachers and homeschool parents teach with confidence!
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