Diving Deep Into Fiction
Transferable Tools for Reading ANY Fiction
Michael W. Smith
- Temple University, USA
Jeffrey D. Wilhelm
- Boise State University, Idaho
Purchase
eBook
ISBN:
9798348850722
Available from
January 0001
Paperback
ISBN:
9781071964347
Available from
April 2026
Description
Empower your students to unlock the hidden power of fiction
Fiction has the unique power to unlock a profound way of knowing the world, yet many learners struggle to understand and connect with literature on a deeper level. Building on the game-changing strategies from their bestselling Diving Deep Into Nonfiction, renowned educators Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm introduce a revolutionary framework that demystifies fiction for adolescent readers. This book empowers teachers to show students how to recognize the Rules of Notice—the conventions that signal what's important in a text—and analyze key literary elements like genre, character, point of view, symbolism, and theme. The essential mental models in the book will guide students as they read and write fictional texts. When students learn to pay attention to these signals, they begin to unlock the rich, complex worlds that fiction offers.
This practical guide provides everything you need to help students become more competent and confident readers of fiction. Inside, you'll find:
- A clear introduction to the four Rules of Notice that accomplished readers use intuitively: direct statements, calls to attention, ruptures, and reader's response
- Classroom-tested lessons and engaging short excerpts that model how to apply these rules to any fictional text
- Sample think-alouds and ready-to-use materials that guide students to connect with what they notice and make their own meaning
- Strategies for interpreting essential literary elements, including genre, character, point of view, symbols, and thematic conversations
With this book, you'll gain the tools to teach your students how to read fiction with intention and insight, giving them the confidence to navigate complex texts and discover the connections between literature and their own lives.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Our Approach: Inquiring Into the Reading Process and How Texts Work
- Inquiring Into the Reading Process and How Texts Work
- Reading Literature Is a Rule-Governed Activity
- Not Everything Is Equally Important
- Four Rules of Notice Are Powerful Tools to Guide Reading
- Five Key Elements Are Especially Important to Notice
- A Few Words About Teaching to Transfer
- How This Book Works
Chapter 2: Introducing the Rules of Notice: Must-Make Moves of Reading Competence
- Must-Make Moves of Reading Competence
- Lesson 1. Teaching Rules of Notice
- Handout 2.1. Worksheet for the Teaching Rules of Notice Lesson
Chapter 3: Noticing and Interpreting Genres: How Texts Are Structured for Meaning and Effect
- What Genre Is
- Why a New Understanding of Genre Matters
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Reading Visual Texts
- Handout 3.1. Short Guide to Readers Rules of Notice
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Practice in Miniature
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Questioning
- Handout 3.2. The KEEPS! Questioning Strategy
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Putting It All Together
- Handout 3.3. Poems for Lesson 7: Noticing Genre: Putting It All Together
Chapter 4: Noticing and Interpreting Key Details About Characters: From Life to Literature and Back to Life
- A Quick Look at Character
- Lesson 1. Noticing Details About Characters: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing Details About Characters: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing Details About Characters: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 4.1. Are They Admirable?
- Lesson 4. Noticing Details About Characters: Questioning
- Handout 4.2. Excerpt from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with questions inserted
- Lesson 5. Noticing Details About Characters: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing Details About Characters: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing Details About Characters: Putting It All Together
Chapter 5: Noticing and Interpreting Key Details About Point of View: Positions and Positioning
- Lesson 1. Noticing Details About Point of View: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing Details About Point of View: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing Details About Point of View: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 5.1. Are They Reliable? Worksheet
- Lesson 4. Noticing Details About Point of View: Questioning
- Lesson 5. Noticing Details About Point of View: Writing and Responding
- Handout 5.2. What Really Happened With the Three Little Pigs
- Lesson 6. Noticing Details About Point of View: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing Details About Point of View: Putting It All Together
Chapter 6: Noticing and Interpreting Symbols and Motifs: The Text Is a Profusion of Signs!
- A Quick Look at Symbolism
- The Symbolism Family
- Thinking About Archetypes
- Thinking About Allegory
- Thinking About Motifs
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Reading Visual Images
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 6.1. Archetypal Lens
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Questioning
- Handout 6.2. QAR Introduction
- Handout 6.3. Mental Model for Reading Symbols
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Putting It All Together
- Handout 6.4. How Coyote Stole Fire
- Handout 6.5. Characters, Story Elements, Relationships, and Symbolism
Chapter 7: Noticing and Interpreting Thematic Conversations: But What Does It Mean?
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 7.1. The E-R-C Mental Model: Find Evidence, Apply Reasoning—Generate a Claim
- Handout 7.2. Reminders for Composing an Argument of Interpretation or Analysis of a Text
- Handout 7.3. The Topic-Comment Mental Model for Claim Writing
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Questioning
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Writing and Responding
- Handout 7.4. The Wolf & His Shadow
- Handout 7.5. The Wolf & His Shadow Remix
- Handout 7.6. The Wolf & His Shadow Remix 2
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Search-and-Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Putting It All Together
Chapter 8: Some Final Thoughts on the Current State of Reading Education
Chapter 8: Some Final Thoughts on the Current State of Reading Education
Works Cited
Works Cited
Index
Index
Resources
Companion Website
https://companion.corwin.com/courses/DivingDeepIntoFictionAdditional materials
Description
Empower your students to unlock the hidden power of fiction
Fiction has the unique power to unlock a profound way of knowing the world, yet many learners struggle to understand and connect with literature on a deeper level. Building on the game-changing strategies from their bestselling Diving Deep Into Nonfiction, renowned educators Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm introduce a revolutionary framework that demystifies fiction for adolescent readers. This book empowers teachers to show students how to recognize the Rules of Notice—the conventions that signal what's important in a text—and analyze key literary elements like genre, character, point of view, symbolism, and theme. The essential mental models in the book will guide students as they read and write fictional texts. When students learn to pay attention to these signals, they begin to unlock the rich, complex worlds that fiction offers.
This practical guide provides everything you need to help students become more competent and confident readers of fiction. Inside, you'll find:
- A clear introduction to the four Rules of Notice that accomplished readers use intuitively: direct statements, calls to attention, ruptures, and reader's response
- Classroom-tested lessons and engaging short excerpts that model how to apply these rules to any fictional text
- Sample think-alouds and ready-to-use materials that guide students to connect with what they notice and make their own meaning
- Strategies for interpreting essential literary elements, including genre, character, point of view, symbols, and thematic conversations
With this book, you'll gain the tools to teach your students how to read fiction with intention and insight, giving them the confidence to navigate complex texts and discover the connections between literature and their own lives.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Our Approach: Inquiring Into the Reading Process and How Texts Work
- Inquiring Into the Reading Process and How Texts Work
- Reading Literature Is a Rule-Governed Activity
- Not Everything Is Equally Important
- Four Rules of Notice Are Powerful Tools to Guide Reading
- Five Key Elements Are Especially Important to Notice
- A Few Words About Teaching to Transfer
- How This Book Works
Chapter 2: Introducing the Rules of Notice: Must-Make Moves of Reading Competence
- Must-Make Moves of Reading Competence
- Lesson 1. Teaching Rules of Notice
- Handout 2.1. Worksheet for the Teaching Rules of Notice Lesson
Chapter 3: Noticing and Interpreting Genres: How Texts Are Structured for Meaning and Effect
- What Genre Is
- Why a New Understanding of Genre Matters
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Reading Visual Texts
- Handout 3.1. Short Guide to Readers Rules of Notice
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Practice in Miniature
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Questioning
- Handout 3.2. The KEEPS! Questioning Strategy
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Putting It All Together
- Handout 3.3. Poems for Lesson 7: Noticing Genre: Putting It All Together
Chapter 4: Noticing and Interpreting Key Details About Characters: From Life to Literature and Back to Life
- A Quick Look at Character
- Lesson 1. Noticing Details About Characters: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing Details About Characters: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing Details About Characters: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 4.1. Are They Admirable?
- Lesson 4. Noticing Details About Characters: Questioning
- Handout 4.2. Excerpt from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with questions inserted
- Lesson 5. Noticing Details About Characters: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing Details About Characters: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing Details About Characters: Putting It All Together
Chapter 5: Noticing and Interpreting Key Details About Point of View: Positions and Positioning
- Lesson 1. Noticing Details About Point of View: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing Details About Point of View: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing Details About Point of View: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 5.1. Are They Reliable? Worksheet
- Lesson 4. Noticing Details About Point of View: Questioning
- Lesson 5. Noticing Details About Point of View: Writing and Responding
- Handout 5.2. What Really Happened With the Three Little Pigs
- Lesson 6. Noticing Details About Point of View: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing Details About Point of View: Putting It All Together
Chapter 6: Noticing and Interpreting Symbols and Motifs: The Text Is a Profusion of Signs!
- A Quick Look at Symbolism
- The Symbolism Family
- Thinking About Archetypes
- Thinking About Allegory
- Thinking About Motifs
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Reading Visual Images
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 6.1. Archetypal Lens
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Questioning
- Handout 6.2. QAR Introduction
- Handout 6.3. Mental Model for Reading Symbols
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Putting It All Together
- Handout 6.4. How Coyote Stole Fire
- Handout 6.5. Characters, Story Elements, Relationships, and Symbolism
Chapter 7: Noticing and Interpreting Thematic Conversations: But What Does It Mean?
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 7.1. The E-R-C Mental Model: Find Evidence, Apply Reasoning—Generate a Claim
- Handout 7.2. Reminders for Composing an Argument of Interpretation or Analysis of a Text
- Handout 7.3. The Topic-Comment Mental Model for Claim Writing
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Questioning
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Writing and Responding
- Handout 7.4. The Wolf & His Shadow
- Handout 7.5. The Wolf & His Shadow Remix
- Handout 7.6. The Wolf & His Shadow Remix 2
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Search-and-Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Putting It All Together
Chapter 8: Some Final Thoughts on the Current State of Reading Education
Chapter 8: Some Final Thoughts on the Current State of Reading Education
Works Cited
Works Cited
Index
Index
Resources
Companion Website
https://companion.corwin.com/courses/DivingDeepIntoFictionAdditional materials
Diving Deep Into Fiction
Transferable Tools for Reading ANY Fiction
March 2026 | 240 pages | Corwin
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback | 11/03/2024 | 9781071964347 | $39.95 |
| Lifetime | 27/10/2025 | 9798348850722 | $36.00 |
Empower your students to unlock the hidden power of fiction
Fiction has the unique power to unlock a profound way of knowing the world, yet many learners struggle to understand and connect with literature on a deeper level. Building on the game-changing strategies from their bestselling Diving Deep Into Nonfiction, renowned educators Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm introduce a revolutionary framework that demystifies fiction for adolescent readers. This book empowers teachers to show students how to recognize the Rules of Notice—the conventions that signal what's important in a text—and analyze key literary elements like genre, character, point of view, symbolism, and theme. The essential mental models in the book will guide students as they read and write fictional texts. When students learn to pay attention to these signals, they begin to unlock the rich, complex worlds that fiction offers.
This practical guide provides everything you need to help students become more competent and confident readers of fiction. Inside, you'll find:
- A clear introduction to the four Rules of Notice that accomplished readers use intuitively: direct statements, calls to attention, ruptures, and reader's response
- Classroom-tested lessons and engaging short excerpts that model how to apply these rules to any fictional text
- Sample think-alouds and ready-to-use materials that guide students to connect with what they notice and make their own meaning
- Strategies for interpreting essential literary elements, including genre, character, point of view, symbols, and thematic conversations
With this book, you'll gain the tools to teach your students how to read fiction with intention and insight, giving them the confidence to navigate complex texts and discover the connections between literature and their own lives.
Table Of Contents:
- Acknowledgments
- About the Authors
- Chapter 1: An Introduction to Our Approach: Inquiring Into the Reading Process and How Texts Work
- Inquiring Into the Reading Process and How Texts Work
- Reading Literature Is a Rule-Governed Activity
- Not Everything Is Equally Important
- Four Rules of Notice Are Powerful Tools to Guide Reading
- Five Key Elements Are Especially Important to Notice
- A Few Words About Teaching to Transfer
- How This Book Works
- Chapter 2: Introducing the Rules of Notice: Must-Make Moves of Reading Competence
- Must-Make Moves of Reading Competence
- Lesson 1. Teaching Rules of Notice
- Handout 2.1. Worksheet for the Teaching Rules of Notice Lesson
- Chapter 3: Noticing and Interpreting Genres: How Texts Are Structured for Meaning and Effect
- What Genre Is
- Why a New Understanding of Genre Matters
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Reading Visual Texts
- Handout 3.1. Short Guide to Readers Rules of Notice
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Practice in Miniature
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Questioning
- Handout 3.2. The KEEPS! Questioning Strategy
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Genre: Putting It All Together
- Handout 3.3. Poems for Lesson 7: Noticing Genre: Putting It All Together
- Chapter 4: Noticing and Interpreting Key Details About Characters: From Life to Literature and Back to Life
- A Quick Look at Character
- Lesson 1. Noticing Details About Characters: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing Details About Characters: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing Details About Characters: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 4.1. Are They Admirable?
- Lesson 4. Noticing Details About Characters: Questioning
- Handout 4.2. Excerpt from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with questions inserted
- Lesson 5. Noticing Details About Characters: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing Details About Characters: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing Details About Characters: Putting It All Together
- Chapter 5: Noticing and Interpreting Key Details About Point of View: Positions and Positioning
- Lesson 1. Noticing Details About Point of View: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing Details About Point of View: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing Details About Point of View: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 5.1. Are They Reliable? Worksheet
- Lesson 4. Noticing Details About Point of View: Questioning
- Lesson 5. Noticing Details About Point of View: Writing and Responding
- Handout 5.2. What Really Happened With the Three Little Pigs
- Lesson 6. Noticing Details About Point of View: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing Details About Point of View: Putting It All Together
- Chapter 6: Noticing and Interpreting Symbols and Motifs: The Text Is a Profusion of Signs!
- A Quick Look at Symbolism
- The Symbolism Family
- Thinking About Archetypes
- Thinking About Allegory
- Thinking About Motifs
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Reading Visual Images
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 6.1. Archetypal Lens
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Questioning
- Handout 6.2. QAR Introduction
- Handout 6.3. Mental Model for Reading Symbols
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Writing and Responding
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Search and Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Symbols: Putting It All Together
- Handout 6.4. How Coyote Stole Fire
- Handout 6.5. Characters, Story Elements, Relationships, and Symbolism
- Chapter 7: Noticing and Interpreting Thematic Conversations: But What Does It Mean?
- Lesson 1. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Reading Visual Texts
- Lesson 2. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Thinking Aloud
- Lesson 3. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Practice in Miniature
- Handout 7.1. The E-R-C Mental Model: Find Evidence, Apply Reasoning—Generate a Claim
- Handout 7.2. Reminders for Composing an Argument of Interpretation or Analysis of a Text
- Handout 7.3. The Topic-Comment Mental Model for Claim Writing
- Lesson 4. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Questioning
- Lesson 5. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Writing and Responding
- Handout 7.4. The Wolf & His Shadow
- Handout 7.5. The Wolf & His Shadow Remix
- Handout 7.6. The Wolf & His Shadow Remix 2
- Lesson 6. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Search-and-Find
- Lesson 7. Noticing and Interpreting Theme: Putting It All Together
- Chapter 8: Some Final Thoughts on the Current State of Reading Education
- Works Cited
- Index