Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

How would you describe the variety of abilities that individuals possess? Why might there be misunderstandings about abilities and their importance? Why might differing abilities be important to society?

Teaching Suggestion: Amy, the novel’s protagonist, has a sister with a developmental disability. Amy and her parents do not fully realize the potential in Louann, Amy’s sister, because they believe she is incapable of doing many things. It isn’t until later in the novel that Amy and her family realize Louann’s strengths and capabilities of. Students might first brainstorm lists of abilities they possess individually, abilities they see represented in others, and abilities they wish they had or are working to attain. After a chance to respond independently to the prompt, students might extend the discussion by addressing ways in which abilities differ among people and why each strength is valuable. They might also work in pairs to try to list 10 or so areas of categorization of abilities, which connects to these and similar resources.

• This 9-minute video from Improvement Pill offers one resource’s ideas on various abilities, including those that may not be reflected in traditional grades at school.