Description

Transform your Front Desk novel study with this comprehensive read aloud guide featuring higher-order thinking questions for grades 4-7! This powerful teaching resource includes 60+ thought-provoking questions aligned to each chapter section, perfect for facilitating meaningful discussions about identity, immigration, empathy, and social justice. Save hours of planning time while maximizing student engagement and critical thinking during your Kelly Yang novel study!

Bring Kelly Yang’s award-winning novel Front Desk to life in your upper elementary classroom with this carefully crafted read aloud guide. Designed by a fellow teacher who has used this book successfully with real students, these questions go beyond basic comprehension to develop critical thinking, foster empathy, and create powerful classroom discussions that students will remember long after the novel ends.

Front Desk provides the perfect opportunity to explore important social themes with your students while developing essential literacy skills. With this read aloud guide, you’ll have everything you need to maximize learning while minimizing your prep time!

This read aloud guide includes:

• 60+ higher-order thinking questions organized by chapter sections
• Questions that address identity, discrimination, perseverance, and courage
• Critical thinking prompts that go beyond basic comprehension
• Follow-up questions to extend discussions
• Easy-to-follow organization that matches the novel’s progression
• Teacher implementation tips including differentiation suggestions

This versatile read aloud guide works perfectly for:

• Whole class novel studies
• Small group instruction
• Differentiated reading groups
• Distance learning lessons
• Student book clubs
• Sub plans or flexible reading schedules

Your students will be fully engaged in Mia Tang’s journey as they analyze character motivations, discuss important social issues, and make meaningful connections to their own lives. They’ll develop deeper reading comprehension skills while building empathy and understanding about immigration experiences, discrimination, and perseverance.

The read aloud questions are intentionally designed to be more challenging than typical comprehension questions, pushing your students to think critically about the text. You can even use these questions as differentiation tools by giving them to your advanced readers who need an extra challenge!

Prep is minimal… Simply follow along with the guide as you read the novel with your class. The questions are organized by chapter sections to make planning easy, whether you’re reading one chapter at a time or multiple chapters in a session.

This resource was created with busy teachers in mind. I understand the time constraints you face, with only 30 minutes of daily planning time and countless responsibilities to juggle. That’s why I’ve designed this resource to require minimal prep while delivering maximum educational impact.

The read aloud format follows research-based best practices for whole-class novel studies, allowing students of all reading levels to access the rich content of Front Desk together. The questions promote inclusive discussions where every student can participate and contribute meaningfully.

Teaching recommendations:

• Read the novel aloud daily for 15-20 minutes
• Select 2-3 discussion questions per section
• Allow students to turn and talk before sharing with the whole class
• Use the questions as exit tickets or journal prompts for deeper reflection
• Print the higher-level questions for advanced students who need enrichment

You may also like:

→ Front Desk Novel Study

→ Front Desk Vocabulary Study

→ Front Desk Unit Complete Bundle

Copyright © Mikey Sivert & Mikey D Teach.

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.