Have you ever thought of a movie as a text to study just as you would a novel?
Movies have all of the elements found in a book:
- plot,
- character development,
- setting,
- dialogue, and
- writer’s craft (including literary devices).
And you can explore it all in under two hours!
While movies are not a one-to-one replacement for reading books, they have their own value.
Movies can:
- expand cultural literacy.
- offer fuel for big juicy conversations.
- allow for a quick look at the unfolding of a plot arc.
- reveal the plot and basic story elements so, later, the reader can sink into the genre and writing style of a difficult-to-read author.
- enrich the reading experience.
- provide an opportunity to compare and contrast.
- inspire insights about both necessary and unnecessary changes made to fit the new medium (film).
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power of movies!
Did you know you can provide your child with a rich learning experience by watching a movie and just selecting a few passages from the corresponding book to study?
You can! And what a way to wrap up the school year!
To make it easy, we’ve curated a list of books with movie companions and either a Dart, Arrow, or Boomerang to help you explore the book:
- Because of Winn-Dixie – Rated: PG – Arrow
- Book Thief, The – Rated: PG-13 – Boomerang
- Charlotte’s Web – Rated: G – Dart
- Christmas Carol, A – Rated: TV-PG – Boomerang
- Fault in Our Stars, The – Rated: PG-13 – Boomerang
- Great Gatsby, The – Rated: PG-13 – Boomerang
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Rated: PG – Arrow
- Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The – Rated: PG – Boomerang
- Hobbit, The – Rated: PG-13 – Boomerang
- Hound of the Baskervilles, The – Rated: NR (recommended age: 10+) – Boomerang
- How to Train Your Dragon – Rated: PG – Arrow
- Hunger Games, The – Rated: PG-13 – Boomerang
- Jane Eyre – Rated: PG-13 – Boomerang
- Little Women – Rated: PG – Boomerang
- Mary Poppins – Rated: G – Arrow
- Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Rated: PG – Dart
- Princess Bride, The – Rated: PG – Boomerang
- Scarlet Pimpernel, The – Rated: NR – Boomerang
- Sense and Sensibility – Rated: PG – Boomerang
- Series of Unfortunate Events, A – Rated: TV-PG, PG – Arrow
- Tale of Despereaux, The – Rated: G – Arrow
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Rated: NR (recommended age 12+) – Boomerang
- Wizard of Oz, The – Rated: PG – Boomerang
Find the complete Movie Wednesday Master List here.
