Novel Studies (2026)

An online-only strong novel study for students in grades 6–8 helps them understand both the story and its deeper meaning. Students learn to follow the plot, including key events from beginning to end, while analyzing characters, their traits and relationships, and how they change over time. They examine the setting and how time and place influence the story, as well as the conflicts characters face and how those problems are resolved. Students explore the theme, or life lesson, and learn to distinguish it from the central idea. They also study the point of view to understand how the story is told and build vocabulary by examining important words and figurative language. A major focus is using text evidence—quoting directly from the book to support ideas—while developing inference skills to read between the lines. Students make meaningful connections to their own lives, other texts, and the world, and they engage in discussion and writing to clearly express their understanding. Together, these elements help students become thoughtful, analytical, and confident readers.

Schedule:

Week 1: Saturday, June 13th
Week 2: Saturday, June 20th
Week 3: Saturday, June 27th
Week 4: Saturday, July 11th
Week 5: Saturday, July 18th
Week 6: Saturday, July 25th
Week 7: Saturday, August 8th
Week 8: Saturday, August 15th
Week 9: Saturday, August 22nd

Grade Specific Schedule (all times in Eastern Time):

5th Grade & 6th Grade: 10:00am – 11:00am
7th Grade & 8th Grade: 11:30am – 12:30pm

Meet the Teacher

Arzoo Shaikh holds a Master of Education in Reading and Literacy (Summa Cum
Laude) from City University of Seattle and recently completed a two-year Orton-
Gillingham scholarship program at Fairleigh Dickinson University, specializing in an
evidence-based approach particularly effective for students with dyslexia and
reading challenges. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education
from Wichita State University (Magna Cum Laude).

With over 25 years of classroom experience teaching grades K–8 in English
Language Arts and Social Studies, Arzoo brings extensive knowledge and a
genuine passion for helping students become confident readers and writers.

In addition to her classroom experience, she has spent many years
providing individualized tutoring and small-group instruction for students in
grades K-12, tailored to each student’s unique learning needs. Arzoo is also the
founder of Literacy Roots LLC, a reading and writing tutoring practice dedicated to
helping students build strong literacy skills and academic confidence.