Planning for Success

The most effective Junior Great Books programs are supported by a formal plan for ongoing teacher support with an experienced Great Books professional development consultant.

Great Books consultants will help you:

• Define your learning objectives and choose an implementation format that meets your needs. The strongest Great Books programs support learning in reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing, but more targeted programs are possible. Discuss your needs and objectives with a Great Books consultant. See recommended schedules below.
• Integrate the program in your curriculum. Great Books is most effective when fully incorporated into the school's language arts curriculum because the activities within each unit support and reinforce one another. Some schools use Great Books as their principal language arts program and some use Great Books in addition to a basal or other program. For best results, your classroom program should be consistent and ongoing.
• Involve teachers early. We can help you schedule an awareness meeting for teachers to discuss or explain the implementation plan, the goals of the program, and the training and support teachers can receive.
• Support teachers with Great Books professional development and on-site consulting. Recognized by leading educators and educational organizations as research-proven and effective, Great Books professional development includes a series of intensive courses and follow-up consultation visits to insure that teachers have the support they need to meet school and district goals.
• Designate a Junior Great Books coordinator. This staff member from your school can schedule training courses, serve as a liaison with parent organizations, arrange for funding and community support, order materials, and keep in touch with the Foundation.

For more information

• Learn more about the effectiveness of Junior Great Books and read success stories in schools just like yours.
• Request a free Great Books Foundation video about Shared Inquiry from our bookstore.
• Set up a Great Books planning session at your school.
• Call the Foundation at 1-800-222-5870 and ask for the representative for your state.
• Involve parents. Parents love Junior Great Books. Many of the most effective classroom programs involve parent volunteers. Even if parents are not certified Shared Inquiry discussion leaders, they can still help by reading to students who were absent during a class reading or by helping small groups with pre- or postdiscussion activities.

Recommended Program Schedules

For Grades K-1

9 weeks of materials in each Read-Aloud series; four ungraded series available

• four classroom periods/week (periods of 30-40 minutes)
• one at-home reading/week

For Grades 2-6

10-12 weeks of materials in each Junior Great Books series; two series available at each grade level

• 3-5 classroom periods/week (periods of 35-50 minutes)
• at-home reading and homework optional

For Grades 7-9

12 weeks of materials in each Junior Great Books series; one series available at each grade level

• 3-5 classroom periods/week (periods of 40-50 minutes)
• at-home reading and homework optional

For Grades 10-12

12 weeks of materials in each Introduction to Great Books series; one series available at each grade level

• 2-5 classroom periods/week (periods of 40-50 minutes) with homework