Chapter 7 Response

Atwell's discussion of letter-essays is a beneficial method of assessing student reading and comprehension in a critical thinking manner. While at the middle school, we are currently administering the Accelerated Reading program, but many students want (and should be able) to read non-A.R. novels. I currently give oral book report conferences with students who read non-A.R. books; but these letter-essays described by Atwell would be much more worthwhile for my students. They can anlayze a passage, react to the book's theme, problem, character development, plot, or author's style. Students can also tell about their experiences reading the novel, explain what surprised them, and pose wonderings. I think these letter-essays would be great to experiment with at the end of this school year in preparation for my reading program/goals next year.