Some of my most vivid childhood memories of school were the novel studies I read for various subjects. It was my favorite way to learn skills, history, and any topic! I love books, and being allowed to read an entire book from cover to cover as a school assignment put me in heaven! I am sure this is a major reason why, as a teacher, my passion is to create and teach novel studies! I love introducing new books to my class, and as a community, being immersed in the book together. I love it when a student pulls us off the schedule with a question or comment from something they read and leads the class into a lively discussion. That’s where the real memorable learning takes place, after all!
I create novel studies more than any other product line simply because I like to focus on what I love. I want to work with my passion! I often get questions from readers asking how I would set up novel studies in my classroom. I decided to write a small series explaining my methods. For the most part, my novel studies include comprehension questions, vocabulary/grammar skill work, extension activities, and assessments.
Today’s post, part 3, deals with pacing the novel study. You can read part 1 and part 2 here.
Novel Studies Part 3: Pacing
One of the challenges of using novel studies in the classroom is finding the time. It’s a balance between not moving too fast and not letting the unit drag on for too long because we all know you have a million other things to squeeze into your curriculum!
Each of my complete novel studies includes detailed daily teacher lesson plans that include the objective and directions for the day. You can see how this is designed fo my Freak the Mighty Novel Study.
I also create a pacing guide for each novel study that helps you map out your long-range plan. You can see an example here from my Crenshaw Novel Study.
It’s a delicate balance to set the pacing. I generally try to aim for approximately 20 pages to read per day. This will be altered based on the chapter sizes. I don’t schedule split chapters as I feel this disrupts the reader. I know I hate to stop reading mid-chapter. That’s just mean!
All of my novel studies offer a Google Drive™ format, in addition to the printable format, shown above, to use with your students. This allows you to use novel studies in a 1:1 classroom, save paper, and easily engage students that are absent. Here’s an example page from the Google Drive™ format of my Wishtree Novel Study. The same pacing would apply for the Google™ version as you would use for the printable version.
This pacing is a suggestion as it has worked for me, but it is very adaptable, so you can work to fit it into the schedule that you are working with. The planning pages are written for a whole class novel study, but can be easily adapted to fit small book groups or individual novel studies. How much teacher interaction you want to have during the course of the study is up to you and can be worked in with the suggested pacing.
Join me for part 4 of my series to learn how I add extra experiences to my novel studies for deeper learning and growth.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Looking for a meaningful novel study for upper elementary or middle school students? Out of My Dreams by Sharon M. Draper is an excellent choice for engaging students in conversations about empathy, resilience, disability, independence, perseverance, and the importance of pursuing your dreams.
The third book in Melody’s story, Out of My Dreams, continues the journey that began in Out of My Mind and continued in Out of My Heart. This time, Melody has the opportunity to travel to London, opening the door to new experiences, new challenges, and new opportunities for growth.
For teachers, Out of My Dreams provides much more than an engaging story. It offers rich opportunities for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, literary analysis, writing, critical thinking, social-emotional learning, and meaningful classroom discussion.
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Why Teach Out of My Dreams?
Sharon M. Draper’s Out of My Dreams gives students the opportunity to see the world through Melody’s experiences while encouraging them to think more deeply about how we understand ourselves and others.
The novel is especially valuable for classroom discussions about:
Empathy and understanding
Resilience and perseverance
Disability and accessibility
Inclusion and acceptance
Independence and self-advocacy
Friendship and relationships
Family and support systems
Personal growth
Dreams and goals
Overcoming challenges
These themes make Out of My Dreams an excellent addition to an ELA novel study, reading unit, literature circle, or whole-class novel unit.
1. Build Empathy Through Literature
One of the greatest strengths of Out of My Dreams is its ability to encourage students to consider experiences that may be different from their own.
Melody’s cerebral palsy affects how she communicates and interacts with the world, but her disability does not define her thoughts, personality, dreams, or abilities.
Reading about Melody can help students consider important questions:
How do we make assumptions about other people?
What does it mean to truly understand someone else’s experience?
How can we make our classrooms more inclusive?
Why is it important to look beyond what we see on the surface?
How can our words and actions make other people feel included?
These questions can lead to thoughtful classroom discussions about empathy, kindness, accessibility, and inclusion.
2. Explore Resilience and Perseverance
Melody’s journey provides countless opportunities to discuss resilience and overcoming obstacles.
Rather than presenting challenges as something that simply disappears, the novel allows students to explore how people adapt, advocate for themselves, accept support, and continue working toward their goals.
This makes Out of My Dreams a natural fit for discussions about:
Perseverance
Growth
Self-confidence
Overcoming obstacles
Setting goals
Taking risks
Learning from difficult experiences
Ask students to consider:
What does resilience really look like?
Students can compare Melody’s experiences with challenges they have faced themselves, while recognizing that everyone’s circumstances and obstacles are different.
3. Discuss Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion
Out of My Dreams also creates an authentic opportunity to discuss disability and accessibility in an age-appropriate way.
Students can explore the difference between a person’s abilities and the barriers created by their environment.
Consider questions such as:
What makes a place accessible?
What barriers might someone with a disability encounter?
How can schools and communities become more inclusive?
Why shouldn’t we make assumptions about what someone can or cannot do?
What does true inclusion look like?
These conversations can help students move beyond simply identifying differences and instead think about how communities can remove barriers and create opportunities for everyone.
4. Develop Critical Thinking and Literary Analysis
Out of My Dreams is also a strong choice for teaching core reading comprehension and literary analysis skills.
As students read, they can analyze:
Character development
Setting
Plot
Conflict
Theme
Symbolism
Author’s word choice
Character relationships
Text evidence
Cause and effect
Making inferences
Encourage students to support their thinking with evidence from the text.
For example:
How does Melody change throughout the story?
What experiences contribute to Melody’s growing independence?
How does the setting of London affect Melody’s experiences?
What does the novel suggest about pursuing your dreams?
These types of questions take students beyond simple recall and encourage them to think critically about the author’s message and the development of the story.
5. Use Out of My Dreams for Writing Activities
The novel also provides plenty of inspiration for reading response and creative writing activities.
Students might:
Write about a personal goal or dream.
Describe a time they faced a difficult challenge.
Write a response to an important event in the novel.
Explain how Melody demonstrates resilience.
Analyze an important character.
Write about the importance of accessibility.
Use text evidence to explain a theme.
Write from a character’s perspective.
Create a new scene that fits naturally into the story.
You can also use the novel as a springboard for argumentative and opinion writing, asking students to support their ideas with evidence from the text.
6. Make Cross-Curricular Connections
One of the benefits of choosing a rich novel like Out of My Dreams is that the learning doesn’t have to stop with ELA.
The story provides opportunities for connections to:
Social-Emotional Learning
Discuss empathy, self-awareness, relationships, perseverance, independence, and respecting differences.
Social Studies
Explore London, cultural differences, travel, and how societies approach accessibility and inclusion.
Informational Reading
Have students research topics related to cerebral palsy, accessibility, disability, or London and compare informational texts with what they learn through the novel.
Geography
Use the novel’s London setting as an opportunity to explore maps, landmarks, geography, and cultural traditions.
These connections can turn a novel study into a rich, interdisciplinary learning experience.
Ready-to-Teach Out of My Dreams Novel Study
If you want to teach Out of My Dreams without spending hours creating comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, assessments, and lesson plans, I’ve created a complete Out of My Dreams Novel Study to make your planning easier.
This no-prep novel study for grades 4-6 includes 240+ pages of printable materials along with digital resources for Google Drive™, giving you everything you need to guide students through the novel.
Vocabulary and grammar activities for 62 vocabulary words
Printable vocabulary word wall cards
Answer keys
Parent letter
Informational reading activities about cerebral palsy
Informational reading activities about London
Three reading assessments
Essay questions
Google Forms™ digital assessments
Story Elements activities
Interactive notebook activities
Printable and digital versions
The resource is designed to work for whole-class instruction, small groups, literature circles, independent reading, homeschool, or a paperless classroom.
Save Time on Your Next Novel Unit
A good novel study should allow you to focus on teaching, discussing, and connecting with your students—not spending your evenings creating worksheets.
This Out of My Dreams book unit gives you ready-to-use materials for teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary, literary analysis, writing, and deeper thinking while your students experience Melody’s inspiring journey.
Try a Free Sample
Want to see what’s included before you buy? Download the free sample of the Out of My Dreams novel study and take a look at the activities, lesson materials, and student resources.
Out of My Dreams by Sharon M. Draper is a powerful choice for teachers looking for a novel that combines engaging storytelling with meaningful learning opportunities.
Through Melody’s experiences, students can explore empathy, resilience, independence, accessibility, inclusion, and the courage it takes to pursue a dream.
Whether you’re planning a 4th, 5th, or 6th grade novel study, this book gives you countless opportunities to help students strengthen their reading skills while having important conversations about how we understand and support one another.
If you’re ready to bring Out of My Dreams into your classroom, make your planning easier with this complete, no-prep Out of My Dreams novel study.
You can also buy Out of My Mind, Out of My Heart, and Out of My Dreams bundled together at a discount!
💬 Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching Out of My Dreams this school year? How do you celebrate kindness in your classroom?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Novel Studies Part 3: Pacing
All of my novel studies offer a Google Drive™ format, in addition to the printable format, shown above, to use with your students. This allows you to use novel studies in a 1:1 classroom, save paper, and easily engage students that are absent. Here’s an example page from the Google Drive™ format of my Wishtree Novel Study. The same pacing would apply for the Google™ version as you would use for the printable version.
