Novel-Centered Learning

A micro school setting allows an increase of opportunities to learn, discuss and grow within a small setting.  Educators know that the decline of reading for fun is evident in young people. National research shows that the number of children and young adults who say they read for fun has dropped to an all time low. Furthermore, we believe that students are not 'struggling readers', but rather deprived readers.

The education movement has become increasingly data driven and as educators find themselves meeting the demands to raise test scores, classroom and instructional time has had to be given to supporting students abilities to discern passages, analyze quotations and annotate articles. This has too often come at the expense of fostering and focusing on the importance of and concentration required to read novels at length, to develop compassion and empathy through novel studies and discussion, to hear and to speak language patterns together and to learn across all subject areas through the perspectives of different characters, diverse genres and varied voices of authors.

At Sunnyside Academy we prioritize novel studies throughout the year with a minimum goal of 6 novels read each school year. Reading takes place collectively. Outside activities through art, play, community engagement, meals, historical studies and films all add to the in-depth study of our different novels.

https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/joy-reading-isnt-dead-yet