Question for those who combine TWEM and TWTM (Nan?)

[Robin in Tx]

How do you do this?

 

TWTM is arranged chronologically, with lit readings tied to history.

 

TWEM is arranged chronologically by genre, beginning with the modern novel.

 

I'm sorry for sounding so dense, but I honestly can't figure this out. Obviously you can't do both at the same time. I am guessing that you follow TWTM, and just pick from TWEM whatever applies to your current reading. Is that right? Do you keep up with the development of the genre somehow?

 

Thanks!

Robin

[LisaNY]

Robin, I am assuming you are using this with your dd, so yes, follow the WTM list and add in readings from WEM as you come to them. WEM was specifically designed for adult/young adult self-study, but it lends itself so well to the discussion of literature in general that it has become such an excellent companion to the WTM Great Books study. I even began using it w/my 6th gr. dd last year.

 

The Well Trained Mind site has an Intermediate Great Books Study that I have found very helpful for middle school.

[Nan in Mass]

I pick books from TWTM lists so we are reading them chronologically (except for poetry and Shakespeare, which I stick in whenever we have a short spot of time before Christmas break or something, or I feel we need to do something easier for a bit). If we haven't read the genre history in TWEM for a particular book's genre for awhile, we read it. We use TWEM questions to discuss the book. We don't do multiple reading, but sometimes we do find ourselves going through the book from beginning to end a few times, in order to answer the questions. I adjust what we do for each book. For example, if it is something short, like Everyman, we don't take notes as we read, just write a few things in the margins like "ha-ha" or "stupid" or "cool phrasing" or whatever. Then, afterwards, we go back through the whole thing to make summary of the action or find specific bits that we want. If the book is long, we write the summary as we go along, chapter by chapter. If the book is complicated, then the reaction-type notes won't fit in the margins and we write those on looseleaf paper and put them in our notebooks afterwards. We keep all the material for a book on a clipboard and transfer them at the end. That way, it is easy to leaf back and forth and find things.

HTH

-Nan

[LisaNY]

For example, if it is something short, like Everyman, we don't take notes as we read, just write a few things in the margins like "ha-ha" or "stupid" or "cool phrasing" or whatever.

HTH

-Nan

 

Nan, I had to laugh at this. I just wrote "Ha!" in the margin of Don Quixote. Sometimes, that is all that needs to be said. :001_smile:

[Robin in Tx]

Thanks, Nan and Lisa. This makes sense. I like the suggestions for when to summarize, when to mark in the margins, how to keep up with all the notes, etc. Thanks for that, Nan... good ideas (as always).

 

Robin