Reefgazer Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Would you expect a mid-elementary student (4th grade) to read these works on his own and then be able to discuss them with you? I know the experience is richer if I read with him (at least that has been our experience), but I was just wondering about the hive's expectations as far as reading these works independently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I don't know the Church. The Lamb is written in period language and I would not expect a fourth grade pupil to thrive reading them alone. I read them aloud and still had to explain some things. As far as I remember, the McCaughrean was readable - she's a modern author. If you want a Shakespeare text for a 4th grade to tackle alone, then this book was good, as were the BBC animated tales. I used the cartoon book, followed by the cartoon videos, followed (in some cases) by Lamb, followed by a live performance. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 No, I wouldn't. We actually used the Shakespeare book in a middle school aged class (6-8 grades) last year at my co-op. That's the earliest I would assign any of those to be read on their own. With you? Maybe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 My older girls read Church's Aeneid at about 4th grade; but they knew the story by then and were used to century-old diction. Certainly there's nothing inappropriate for that age, but it all depends on the reader, especially for books that old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddleduck Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I'd say the Lamb's book would be doable, maybe with a little bit of dictionary help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I wouldn't read any version of the Canterbury Tales with a child that young. Chaucer was making some pretty scathing comments about the Church, the Crown and society. Without the ability to understand this, they are just silly, and some cases, rather ribald. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Church's Aeneid: yes, an average homeschooled 4th grader (meaning one who has a habit of reading something other than graphic novels ;)) should have no problems with this. CHOLL even has (FREE!) notes/questions to go with this. Lamb's Shakespeare: my very literate 6th grader balked the first time he read Lamb's. We had to narrate paragraph by paragraph, draw some "flowcharts" to keep the characters straight, and look some words up in the dictionary. It was good for him. After a few sessions of this, he could do it all on his own, and even admitted to liking it. The fifth grader needed me to hold his hand all year with Lamb's...different boys. McCaughrean's Canterbury Tales: even though it is a modern retelling, I wouldn't do the whole book with a 4th grader, maybe just selected tales that are a little less, earthy.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 McCaughrean's Canterbury Tales: even though it is a modern retelling, I wouldn't do the whole book with a 4th grader, maybe just selected tales that are a little less, earthy.... I just read this aloud to my boys, 9 & 12, and they loved it! It is earthy ;) but well written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Thank you all so much for your input! This gives me lots to consider. I was not planning to read the Canterbury Tales with DS, but was thinking of Aeneid and some selected Lamb's Shakespeare. I'll keep thinking on it, though. My kids are excellent readers, but some of you made points about the material I had not considered, since these tales were not read to me as a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 My 9-year old listened to audio of Lamb's last school year with great comprehension. I *assume* she would have done as well reading on her own, but not sure. I'm not familiar with the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Maybe Leon Garfield's Shakespeare, http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Stories-Leon-Garfield/dp/0395563976/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0 He was the writer for the Animated Tales linked above. DD read Lamb's version a few months ago as a 3rd grader and didn't seem to have any comprehension problems, but I think she preferred Garfield's writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Edith Nesbit also wrote a book called Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare. Also available as a libivox recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 We liked Usborne's Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare. http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/book/1~CS~CSI~4668/illustrated-stories-from-shakespeare.aspx We used Hastings' Canterbury Tales. http://www.abebooks.com/Canterbury-Tales-Selection-Hastings-Selina-Walker/3044236864/bd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I have not used the Aeneid by Church. My boys used In Search of a Homeland by Penelope Lively. Tales of heroes were typically a hit with my boys. Use whatever version works for y'all. We used mainly Nesbitt's Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare. I do own Lamb, but honestly I find that the way they condensed the stories makes them more confusing than the actual play. I am another who occassionally made finger puppets or figures glued to popsicle sticks to help keep the characters straight. We use No Fear Shakespeare starting in about grade five. I have my son read the modern language side independently. Then, he listens to a fully dramatized audio of the original work while reading along. I try to follow up with the play or a video of the play. I am another who is not certain about the value of reading a version of Chaucer in grade four. There is plenty of wonderful literature for this age. However, if you just want a quick story to put Chaucer on the map so to speak, Barbara Cooney wrote a picture book version of one of the tales- The Chanticleer and the Fox. You can do it in one sitting, talk about Chaucer, and move on. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 What is CHOLL?? Church's Aeneid: yes, an average homeschooled 4th grader (meaning one who has a habit of reading something other than graphic novels ;)) should have no problems with this. CHOLL even has (FREE!) notes/questions to go with this. Lamb's Shakespeare: my very literate 6th grader balked the first time he read Lamb's. We had to narrate paragraph by paragraph, draw some "flowcharts" to keep the characters straight, and look some words up in the dictionary. It was good for him. After a few sessions of this, he could do it all on his own, and even admitted to liking it. The fifth grader needed me to hold his hand all year with Lamb's...different boys. McCaughrean's Canterbury Tales: even though it is a modern retelling, I wouldn't do the whole book with a 4th grader, maybe just selected tales that are a little less, earthy.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 What is CHOLL?? Classical House of Learning Literature: a very well done history and lit program made by one of our own board members. Church's Aeneid is scheduled for one of the readings in logic stage ancients literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 We start with this child's version of Chaucer, which is pretty findable used: http://childscapes.com/bookpages/tenggren.html It's completely innocuous, and quite fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 This is very cool, thanks! We start with this child's version of Chaucer, which is pretty findable used: http://childscapes.com/bookpages/tenggren.htmlIt's completely innocuous, and quite fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 We used this for Shakespeare last year for DS's second grade year. He also read McCaughrean's Canterbury Tales. He was almost 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Wow! Thank you. What an amazing resource! Classical House of Learning Literature: a very well done history and lit program made by one of our own board members. Church's Aeneid is scheduled for one of the readings in logic stage ancients literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Duplicate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.