s/o accelerated reader

[Granny_Weatherwax]

How do you convince a kid who reads a lot to slow down so he can complete a decent analysis?

 

I will assign DS a book to analyze, he'll read it, we'll begin the analysis and before we are half way through he has read three other books and is beyond discussing the one we are analyzing.

 

Just to clarify - the books he reads are lit books not twaddle.

For example he was supposed to read The Red Badge of Courage for Lit analysis but before we really got into the analysis he read To Kill A Mockingbird, a biography of Octavius, and a book about the battles of the Civil War.

 

Should I force the return to RBC and make him complete the analysis?

Edited November 23, 2010 by The Dragon Academy

[Laura Corin]

We started with shorter passages, printed out separately. It's easier to get the child to concentrate if they are not looking towards the next page.

 

Laura

[regentrude]

I am not sure I completely understand the problem:

Is he unable to recall the book you are working on? Or just not interested?

I see no problem with reading several books simultaneously - I always had a few going, and DD reads several books at the same time.

 

How drawn out is the analysis going to be? Is it a book he is interested in analyzing, or is he just wanting to get through with it as quickly as possible?

Maybe it would help if you gave him questions to ponder before he begins a book, so he can think about it while he is reading. But again, I do not see any problem with starting on other books while still discussing one.

DD read the Iliad and Herodotus' Histories simultaneously; then we studied the In detail while she was already reading the Odyssey and still working on an essay about Herodotus. It was no problem.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I am not sure I completely understand the problem:

Is he unable to recall the book you are working on? Or just not interested? Recall is not the problem. He can tell you everything you want to know about the characters, the plot, etc. I think it's just as soon as he finishes the book and digests it he is on to something else. It's more like "What's the point?"

I see no problem with reading several books simultaneously - I always had a few going, and DD reads several books at the same time. I used to be like that. Not any more, though.

 

How drawn out is the analysis going to be? Is it a book he is interested in analyzing, or is he just wanting to get through with it as quickly as possible? The analyses are about plot, characterization, theme, etc so fairly indepth but I think they are grade appropriate.

Maybe it would help if you gave him questions to ponder before he begins a book, so he can think about it while he is reading. But again, I do not see any problem with starting on other books while still discussing one.

 

I think the bolded part is the advice I was looking for. I feel like - duh.

Thank you for that practical information. I will try that with our next selection and see if that slows him down to show me he can do this.

[weaver_67579]

was to first do a book or two that the kiddo has already read. That way he/she is not in a hurry to find out what happens and will be more likely to focus on the questions when reading. For DD I am using the Veritas Press literature guide for the Narnia series and like it so far. I do have dd read the questions before the chapter.