Your Guide to Planning a Wonder Novel Study

Books aren’t just for teaching ELA skills. They can also help students learn how to be kind, thoughtful human beings. And really, isn’t that what every teacher wants? Wonder by R.J. Palacio is the perfect novel for mixing content with conversation. You’ll have students talking about empathy, identity, and what it really means to be a kind person. But as I said, you want these discussions to also dip into your skills and standards. I want to show you how I crafted my Wonder novel study to hit all fiction standards and lead to deep, analytical conversation (yes, even with upper elementary kids).

About Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Wonder is a middle-grades novel about August “Auggie” Pullman, a boy born with Treacher Collins syndrome. This rare genetic condition causes facial deformities. Middle school is hard enough, but for Auggie, school is even more challenging. After years of being homeschooled, Auggie is going to Beecher Prep for fifth grade. Not everyone can see past Auggie’s differences. Some kids bully him. Others avoid him, acting like he’s contagious. Throughout the book, students watch Auggie navigate a world that isn’t always kind and see how he stays resilient through it all.

Wonder is perfect for 4th-6th grade students. The topics are deep, but the book itself is super appropriate for a younger audience. The language is mild, and there isn’t any violence. In fact, Wonder has won a ton of awards. The messages in every chapter are overwhelmingly positive, and the story follows a diverse character, which helps students see the world in a different way.

Planning Your Wonder Novel Study 

Before you dive into planning, you have to think through the logistics around your Wonder novel unit. How will you read with students (independently, as a group, in book clubs)? What kinds of activities will you use?

In my Wonder novel study, I got rid of the usual routine of worksheets and one-off activities. I wanted something that took students beyond surface-level thinking. There is so much to talk about with this novel, from theme to character development to point of view. That’s why I designed each lesson around Socratic Seminar, so we could dive into the conversations, and I could get students analyzing the text.

The idea of Socratic Seminar in 4th or 5th grade might make you nervous. I get that. But don’t let age hold you back. You’re not asking students to lead a philosophical discussion. 😜 You’re asking them to take the text and talk about it. Using guiding and interpretive questions, you’ll get the conversation started and then be there to facilitate when needed. Also, because Socratic Seminar is built into every lesson, students get really comfortable with it. Before you know it, they’ll be leading full-on discussions without your support.

Socratic Seminar Deep Dive

So, what does Socratic Seminar actually look like in your upper elementary classroom? Let me share an inside peek from lesson four in my Wonder novel study.

The lesson starts with a guiding question: How does the author use repetition, and her style, in the following sentences to emphasize meaning: “She kissed me all over my face. She kissed my eyes that came down too far. She kissed my cheeks that looked punched in. She kissed my tortoise mouth.” 

Next, students will read pages 45-60. This can happen in their book clubs, independently, or as a whole class. Personally, I like to use book clubs. As they read, have students pause for key vocabulary (which I include in each lesson plan).

Once reading has wrapped up, students will have five minutes to complete a quick write for the interpretive question: “Why do you think Mr. Browne tells them that “Who We Are” is the most important thing they should be asking all the time? Why is that the most important thing? Why is this particularly important for Auggie to remember at this point?”

Now, it’s time for Socratic Seminar. Students can use their quick writes if they aren’t sure what to say. During the seminar, students will build on each other’s ideas and dig into the question. This is where students analyze the author’s purpose without even realizing it.

After the discussion, students go back to their quick writes and add more. They’re taking ideas and new arguments they heard from the seminar to complete their writing. This same pattern repeats each lesson throughout the unit, just with a new skill, new questions, and new chapters from the text. It never gets boring because the discussion is always changing.

Pairing Wonder with a Realistic Fiction Unit

One more thing you might want to consider. I like to include my Wonder novel study within a larger Realistic Fiction Unit. This is optional, but the advantage here is that Wonder will work as a mentor text as you talk through elements of the genre.

If you want to take Wonder beyond comprehension worksheets, grab my Wonder novel unit. It includes all the activities, student supports, and teaching resources you need to dig deep into each page. The unit is also built around Socratic Seminar, so you’ll be having surprisingly deep conversations each class period (yep, your students are capable of doing it!).