Favorite lit./reading guides for elementary??

[jenni33]

Just wondering what everyone's using/doing for elementary literature/reading.

I have an up and coming 3rd grader and have considered Progeny Press, Memoria Press Lit. Guides, and DITHOR.

 

Does anyone have any opinions on those? or maybe you use something else or some other method?

 

Thanks!

[usetoschool]

We like Progeny Press and have quite a few of them. I like the instant gratification of the emailed versions. My favorite Company is Blackbird and Company. We tried DITHOR and didn't really care for it. Just didn't work well for us but I do like their list of books by genre. If I remember correctly it didn't really cover the literary aspects of the books enough for us.

[Mrs Twain]

I just started using a literature guide from Blackbird and Company for my third grader, and I think it is great. I am planning on using two or three per year for my kids. They have everything I was looking for in a literature guide.

 

I haven't used the others you have mentioned, so I can't compare.

[lexi]

Wow! Thanks for mentioning that resource. I just looked through the samples from Blackbird and Company and they look very well done. I think my daughter would enjoy those and I love their book choices! I'm bookmarking that one!

[tammyw]

I just started using a literature guide from Blackbird and Company for my third grader, and I think it is great. I am planning on using two or three per year for my kids. They have everything I was looking for in a literature guide.

 

I haven't used the others you have mentioned, so I can't compare.

 

This looks interesting, I'm going to check them out. Can you tell me how you do one of these lessons?

[Chris in VA]

Another method here. No guides until Jr or Hi school.

 

For read alouds, we just read the book and chat about it.

 

When we started each day, we'd do a quick recap, with a question like, "Let's see, where were we?" ;) Very friendly and nonthreatening. It's like a narration, but so much less stressful and informal.

 

Predictions are important to make, so we'd throw out the ol' "I wonder what is going to happen next?" or more specific, like "I wonder if X will (get the job? get in trouble for...? find out...?)."

 

We talk about the characters, the setting, the plot (above). We giggle over parts that we find funny. We quote from a well-loved book. We share how we feel about tensions or conflicts or joys in the book.

 

We LIVE the book, if it's deep and rich enough.

 

I highly recommend this way of doing "reading" when the kiddos are in elementary.

 

Same applies for books they are reading themselves. Ask some questions, maybe do some fun activities if you know they'd tie in; there are cookbooks for different time periods, for example--so making something that they eat in the book, if it's somehow significant, could be fun and instructive.

 

I save the deep analysis for later.

[Mrs Twain]

This looks interesting, I'm going to check them out. Can you tell me how you do one of these lessons?

 

I am using a Level 1 Blackbird and Company guide (with My Father's Dragon).

There are basic instructions on how to use the guide in the introduction.

 

During our time when the kids take turn reading aloud to me, I have my son read the chapters from the book for the first section's activities (which in this case is chapters 1-3). The next day, he does one page of the activities, which in his guide is describing characters. Then we continue doing one page per day until we finish the section (Setting/Plot, Vocabulary, Comprehension Questions, Writing Exercise, Discussion).

 

I skipped the writing assignment (writing a story about a make-believe island) only because we have so much other writing in our curriculum and I thought it would be overkill. The assignment looks very good, however.

 

It does not take him very long. Perhaps the guides for the higher levels would take longer to do.

 

 

HTH

[laughing lioness]

I don't like lit guides at all for the younger set. I think it actually makes the story/ narrative too (for lack of a better word) dry. I want my kids caught up in the excitement of the STORY without fretting about getting answers right at the end of it.

 

Check out Deconstructing Penguins. Intro to lit analysis at the eled level.All the lit guiding you'll need for the younger set. When they hit high school, check out Windows to the World or Excellence in Lit by IEW.

[tammyw]

Another method here. No guides until Jr or Hi school.

 

For read alouds, we just read the book and chat about it.

 

When we started each day, we'd do a quick recap, with a question like, "Let's see, where were we?" ;) Very friendly and nonthreatening. It's like a narration, but so much less stressful and informal.

 

Predictions are important to make, so we'd throw out the ol' "I wonder what is going to happen next?" or more specific, like "I wonder if X will (get the job? get in trouble for...? find out...?)."

 

We talk about the characters, the setting, the plot (above). We giggle over parts that we find funny. We quote from a well-loved book. We share how we feel about tensions or conflicts or joys in the book.

 

We LIVE the book, if it's deep and rich enough.

 

I highly recommend this way of doing "reading" when the kiddos are in elementary.

 

Same applies for books they are reading themselves. Ask some questions, maybe do some fun activities if you know they'd tie in; there are cookbooks for different time periods, for example--so making something that they eat in the book, if it's somehow significant, could be fun and instructive.

 

I save the deep analysis for later.

 

Oh thank you :) This is essentially what we do (just naturally), so I'm very happy to hear nothing else is needed.

 

I know I get caught up in "oh no, what are we not doing" occasionally, especially when I read too much online!

[Bellamoon]

Another method here. No guides until Jr or Hi school.

 

For read alouds, we just read the book and chat about it.

 

When we started each day, we'd do a quick recap, with a question like, "Let's see, where were we?" ;) Very friendly and nonthreatening. It's like a narration, but so much less stressful and informal.

 

Predictions are important to make, so we'd throw out the ol' "I wonder what is going to happen next?" or more specific, like "I wonder if X will (get the job? get in trouble for...? find out...?)."

 

We talk about the characters, the setting, the plot (above). We giggle over parts that we find funny. We quote from a well-loved book. We share how we feel about tensions or conflicts or joys in the book.

 

We LIVE the book, if it's deep and rich enough.

 

I highly recommend this way of doing "reading" when the kiddos are in elementary.

 

Same applies for books they are reading themselves. Ask some questions, maybe do some fun activities if you know they'd tie in; there are cookbooks for different time periods, for example--so making something that they eat in the book, if it's somehow significant, could be fun and instructive.

 

I save the deep analysis for later.

 

Great ideas! Thank you!

[sagira]

This is what we do. I also felt the need to add a lit program, but when we tried a Progeny Press guide, it felt contrived and I could see it lessened the enjoyment of the book considerably. I'm back to the Charlotte Mason style of not getting between the book and the child. Have him narrate. Teach him about plot, setting, characters later. By then the child is immersed in the world of books and recognizes these quickly.

 

I can also teach plot, setting, and characters through creative writing.

 

Another method here. No guides until Jr or Hi school.

 

For read alouds, we just read the book and chat about it.

 

When we started each day, we'd do a quick recap, with a question like, "Let's see, where were we?" ;) Very friendly and nonthreatening. It's like a narration, but so much less stressful and informal.

 

Predictions are important to make, so we'd throw out the ol' "I wonder what is going to happen next?" or more specific, like "I wonder if X will (get the job? get in trouble for...? find out...?)."

 

We talk about the characters, the setting, the plot (above). We giggle over parts that we find funny. We quote from a well-loved book. We share how we feel about tensions or conflicts or joys in the book.

 

We LIVE the book, if it's deep and rich enough.

 

I highly recommend this way of doing "reading" when the kiddos are in elementary.

 

Same applies for books they are reading themselves. Ask some questions, maybe do some fun activities if you know they'd tie in; there are cookbooks for different time periods, for example--so making something that they eat in the book, if it's somehow significant, could be fun and instructive.

 

I save the deep analysis for later.

[jenni33]

These are great ideas. I like the look of the Blackbird & Company guides. I guess where I am really struggling is figure out exactly how to do narration successfully, so I'm looking for something that guides me through that. I don't know what to say how to go about teaching plot, characters, setting.

I guess I need a starting point, know what I mean? I can do narration for a book, if I have a list of questions to ask for that book. Or I can teach about plot and setting, if I have a guide to do it. I don't know where to begin teaching these things, so I really feel I need some kind of crutch for that. I'm pretty sure I don't want to go with some grade-level curricula, so PP or Blackbird are a couple of good choices.

Thanks for your input, I'm so confused over it! But trying to sift through all of the methods/options.

[warneral]

These are great ideas. I like the look of the Blackbird & Company guides. I guess where I am really struggling is figure out exactly how to do narration successfully, so I'm looking for something that guides me through that. I don't know what to say how to go about teaching plot, characters, setting.

I guess I need a starting point, know what I mean? I can do narration for a book, if I have a list of questions to ask for that book. Or I can teach about plot and setting, if I have a guide to do it. I don't know where to begin teaching these things, so I really feel I need some kind of crutch for that. I'm pretty sure I don't want to go with some grade-level curricula, so PP or Blackbird are a couple of good choices.

Thanks for your input, I'm so confused over it! But trying to sift through all of the methods/options.

 

WWE teaches this skill. The workbooks hold your hand. WWE 2 And up particularly teach the art of summarizing. I'm still working on it with mine and some days are like pulling teeth as it isn't a natural skill for this family!

 

I like the natural approach for our reading. My kids are really learning to love reading and hearing stories since we started homeschooling this year.