Teaching the Classics in the Inclusive Classroom: Reader Response Activities to Engage All Learners

Teaching the Classics in the Inclusive Classroom offers teachers a practical resource for helping students in grades 6-12 connect to and appreciate classic literary works. The book is filled with high-interest and engaging exercises that work with a variety of learners (with a particular emphasis on students with special needs), utilizing “pre-reading,” “during reading,” and “after reading” activities. Many of these exercises help to strengthen reading comprehension while other activities are specifically designed to reinforce vocabulary skills, as these apply to selected classic texts. Using these exercises and techniques to teach the classics will help your students appreciate literature and become better critical thinkers, writers, and readers.

Katherine S. McKnight, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of Teacher Education at Northeastern Illinois University, has been a literacy educator for over sixteen years. Her current research explores strategies for teaching literacy in inclusive classrooms and using drama in the classroom for teaching and learning. Her previous book, Teaching Writing in the Inclusive Classroom: Strategies and Skills for All Students, Grades 6–12 from Jossey-Bass, coauthored with Roger Passman, also explores the inclusive classroom. Her new book, The Second City Guide to Improvisation in the Classroom, coauthored with Mary Scruggs, is forthcoming from Jossey-Bass.

Bradley P. Berlage, M.A.T., teaches high school English and math in the Chicago area. Formerly, he worked as a curriculum developer and technical writer in the corporate sector. Berlage's current research examines the pedagogical relationship among drama strategies, student engagement, and mathematics.