Students read A Tale of Two Cities and discuss reading

Students in Cesar Olivares’ tenth-grade Global Studies class at Mount Vernon High School are focusing on improving their reading comprehension skills by engaging with complex texts. On Thursday, November 8, 2024, Mr. Olivares and his students had an engaging conversation about the importance of reading and challenging themselves whilst they read the classic novel “A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens. 

Students organized themselves into a large circle to discuss why Mr. Olivares was pushing them to read more, specifically this book. “A Tale of Two Cities” is a historical novel that was published in 1859 but takes place during the French Revolution. The language of the book is very different from what students are used to reading and speaking in their day-to-day lives. During this conversation, many students noted how reading this book is helping them with their daily grammar and other school activities, such as reading historical documents such as the U.S. Constitution. 

During the conversation, Mr. Olivares encouraged students to read at their own pace and engage with the rigorous book in a stress-free environment. He assigns a chapter and holds discussions throughout the week, leading up to a quiz on Fridays. He, like other teachers at MVHS, is dedicated to moving students from excerpt-based reading to reading full bodies of work. 

“As a teacher, I’ve realized that kids are falling behind when it comes to reading,” said Mr. Olivares. “This book is old and some of the words and phrases are difficult to understand. I get it. My goal is to expose them to more readings.”