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Talk to me about how you study literature with your AL


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I'm struggling with this right now.  In order to study quality literature that is age appropriate, as well as something that is at his comprehension level, I'm boring him to tears.  (Oliver Twist was my most recent fail, and I can't say I blame him. :lol: )

 

 

How do you pick things that will be engaging to a 9 year old at a high school level?  I have the Mensa list for grades 7 & 8 and I picked out The Hobbit next, which he is more open to than Oliver and Little Women. :laugh:  However, I'm looking at the 4-6 list, and thinking he might like these books better, even though they aren't really "at his level."  I'm thinking if he reads things for other subjects he's getting new vocabulary and things like that.  I just don't want him to dread reading time, he used to look forward to it. I also do not want to cut it out. I see a lot of value in talking about good books with him.

 

Also, do you do strictly read alouds, or independent reading assignments, a combo of both?

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I don't. The boys read a ton of classic childrens novels but I just don't care to sit around discussing the books with them. (Many of which I don't remember, haven't read or have no time/desire to (re)read). They may tell me about the books or else they discuss the books together if they want. If not, whatever. Because they read so much and we are doing a simplified school schedule, currently, I don't give any school credit/award school points for any fiction books read. They read dozens of them. They record the title, and write down the start and end date. They (are supposed to) write down words that they don't know, and make a guess at the meaning based on context, then look it up and write out the definitions. Either their vocabulary has gone up exponentially or they've  just slacked about doing it.

 

If I ask, they are required to prepare and give a 5-10 minute oral presentation on a book that they've read. I rarely ask. I should probably do some more literature type stuff, but I find the topic just not interesting/important enough to actually do more. But starting this summer, I will probably have them work through and (re)read a book list and where they actually do detailed vocabulary study from classics and by writing down each word that they don't know, syllabicate it, write it 5 times, look up the definition. It is very possible that I'll have write a few book guides for some of their favorite books.

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I'm struggling with this right now.  In order to study quality literature that is age appropriate, as well as something that is at his comprehension level, I'm boring him to tears.  (Oliver Twist was my most recent fail, and I can't say I blame him. :lol: )

 

 

How do you pick things that will be engaging to a 9 year old at a high school level?  I have the Mensa list for grades 7 & 8 and I picked out The Hobbit next, which he is more open to than Oliver and Little Women. :laugh:  However, I'm looking at the 4-6 list, and thinking he might like these books better, even though they aren't really "at his level."  I'm thinking if he reads things for other subjects he's getting new vocabulary and things like that.  I just don't want him to dread reading time, he used to look forward to it. I also do not want to cut it out. I see a lot of value in talking about good books with him.

 

Also, do you do strictly read alouds, or independent reading assignments, a combo of both?

I don't fuss over literature. The boys love books (we don't have TV and very limited internet) for the stories and as entertainment so they read a lot. Even if they didn't read a lot, I wouldn't fuss over literature so long as they were strong and capable readers. If I were boring them to tears at 9 years old and reading 6 years ahead of their age-peers, I'd stop or change up what we are doing.

 

If I were going to use a list, I'd use the one that appeals to him. I'm not sure if 4-6 is grade level or age, but use the books that you think he'd enjoy. You are currently boring him to tears. With or without the list, I would go back to picture books--really good, high quality picture books. And well performed audiobooks for longer works. I'd let him tead abridged classics while listening to the unabridged audio books. and move on with life.

 

Also, we do a combo of 90% independent reading and 10% read-alouds.

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I put DD in the Athena's Academy and G3 literature classes so she has someone else her age to talk about books with, and then I add more writing at home and ramp up MY output requirements to get to a level appropriate for her. I found that doing literature just with me was a complete dud, and while she can handle being in a group with older kids/adults for science stuff and hold her own, her world view is still that of a kid, not a teen or adult, and she's a lot more comfortable with other kids who happen to read really, really well vs adults.

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I put DD in the Athena's Academy and G3 literature classes so she has someone else her age to talk about books with, and then I add more writing at home and ramp up MY output requirements to get to a level appropriate for her. I found that doing literature just with me was a complete dud, and while she can handle being in a group with older kids/adults for science stuff and hold her own, her world view is still that of a kid, not a teen or adult, and she's a lot more comfortable with other kids who happen to read really, really well vs adults.

 

Yes!  He's sensitive too.

 

I think we will try Athena's (or maybe the Brave writer group?) next year, and that will help with the reading age gap of my kids as well.

Edited by Runningmom80
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I have similar fails with classics too. Recently, I have been getting a lot of biographies and auto biographies for DS at his level - I am choosing inspirational ones and exciting ones and he is reading them with great interest. So, you could pick some good biographies to add to your mix, they seem to keep my DS engaged.

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Mythology and epics were big hits here due to the fantastical nature of the stories. They were Hobbit like, but also allowed for cultural and historical depth to come through in analysis.

 

Ds liked a lot of political-ish and mild dystopian literature. It allowed him to frame his current frustrations with the world in an exaggerated way. I thunk many kids choose fantasy literature for this reason as well.

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My solution was adventure stories. This was what my younger read independently at 9:

 

20000 leagues under the sea

sherlock holmes

The lost world (Doyle)

Robinson Cruseo

Tom Saywer

White Fang

The coral Island

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Prince and the Pauper

Outlaw or Torn (Burroughs)

Around the world in 80 days

The time machine

War of the worlds

The beginning of gullivers travels (it gets political later)

The incredible journey

Age of Fable

My Family and other animals

Swiss Family Robinson

Peter Pan

Alice and Wonderland

 

 

I didn't discuss books unless he wanted to, because I believe that books should be loved before being studied.  However, I did discuss how these book view people with dark skin and women, and did this regularly. 

 

My dh read outloud every night for history.  And he read nonfiction and fiction that was related to the era.

 

So for middle ages he read:

Adventures of Robin Hood by pyle

Canturbury tales by mccaughrean

One thousand and one nights mccaughrean

King arthur and his knights pyle

Secret of the andes

Aroudn the world's rim

 

So nothing earth shattering, but just good childrens books that fit in with our history study.  They LOVED it

 

I think at 9 he was doing early modern so:

Tika Liktac

Sing down the moon

Witch of blackbird pond

Sign of the Beaver

little house on the prairie

swift river

Carry on Mr boditch

 

He integrated reading these fiction books with the narrative nonfiction that I found.  He would discuss everything from a historical point of view rather than literary, but the kids (both boys) really enjoyed this, and the older was still interested in these books even though he was 12-13.

 

 

 

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My dd took all of Athena's literature courses when she was younger. In sixth grade, she read assigned books-Tale of Two Cities, Animal Farm, Lord of Flies and favorite, Farhenheit 451. Seventh grade, so far is Emma and Great Expectations. She is an avid reader, loves Goodreads, the local librarian is one of her Goodreads pal. I think if you choose books from classic literature as assigned books, you are doing well. We simply discuss chapters, my dd writes chapter summaries and then creates an essay for each book. Fourth/Fifth grades-The Hobbit, Little Men, Swiss Family Robinson, etc. My dd preferred more "adult literature" in middle school. Sorry if this sound choppy, I'm Writing this on my phone.

Edited by jewel
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I have found it very valuable to discuss literature at this age. Finding the protagonist, antagonist, the subtext and symbolism of children's lit is pretty easy because the authors have written it for children, and this gives great practice for when they read more complex literature later. We have followed the suggestions from Deconstructing Penguins and How to Read Literature like a Professor for Kids. Books that have gone well included: the Phantom Tollbooth, Hans Brinker, Peter Pan, Secret Garden, Cricket in Times Square, the Hobbit. My DS hates reading aloud, so we have reading time together-but we read separately from the same chapter of a book and discuss afterward. I like it this way because I can gauge my son's reading speed and compare that to his comprehension. Some books have completely flopped and had to be shelved. But most of the time, a good snack and company on the couch has been enough to keep him pushing through genres that he would not usually choose to read on his own.

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On my phone so this will be short, but yes I agree lot discussions are valuable to the both of us. I don't require any writing, we talk about them as we read. He loved Alice in Wondeland, Tom Sawyer, and treasure island. He also likes how to read lit like a professor, he did ask for Dr Jekyll and me Hyde from that book but I thought I should wait for that one.

 

Thank you for the suggestions, I appreciate them!

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My son decided at about 9yo that he didn't want me to read aloud to him anymore. Despite all the accents and sound effects I would add to the reading (or maybe because of them?). Broke my heart. But what to do? He loves reading independently. I think reading aloud might have also been too slow for him. He reads very quickly and retains very well too.

 

The younger years were a lot about narration. He loved sharing what he read. I didn't even have to prompt him. I loved to just listen to him. Sometimes, I didn't know what questions to ask (if I hadn't read the book) so I would just listen and ask him why he liked a particular character or scene, was it the character or way it was written etc. Slowly I started to think of more questions. Why did the author present that character in a particular way? If roles and situations were reversed, would the good guy have done what he did? What about the bad guy? Is the bad guy just bad or bad because of his circumstances? What would the good guy have done in the bad guy's situation? We focused a lot on empathizing with characters. So as the years passed, narrations became deep conversations in this way. We both love psychology and analyzing people's motivations so most times we talked about personalities of the characters, why the author chose to portray them in a certain way and what might have triggered that portrayal in the author's own life (setting as well other personal issues...so this also led to being curious about the author and reading his/ her biography when possible -- sometimes we just wikipedia-d it). 

 

I think when you don't know where to begin, it's best to begin with something the both of you love. I love literature but some days I would rather be cleaning the kitchen or finishing up some other work than talking about books. When I feel stuck or unmotivated, I don't discuss the books. I just listen to him. I worry that my impatience to be doing something else might color the opportunity he has to love reading. So I wait till my mood is better. If my mood isn't better for some reason, then I choose a book we both loved with a subject we might be crazy about. James Herriot for example. We both adore animals so we could talk about Herriot or Gerald Durrell's stories of his eccentric, natural life-filled childhood for hours if we had the time!

 

Sometimes you can also make the reading time special by buddy reading on the couch with a plate of cookies for example. Get 2 copies of the book if you can and the both of you read it separately but together on the same couch (if not reading aloud). Check with him if he's finished the chapter you are reading. Put the book away for a bit (if he is willing, if he's not don't force it) and talk about what you read. Use a cookie as a bribe if necessary. Just be yourself, be excited, show how much you enjoyed a particular incident in the book. Have fun with it. Relax. I often feel like so much of homeschooling is role modeling. 

 

I don't want to go on and on. I love literature. Just big time adore it. So glad my son does too. Discussing books is one of the most memorable bits of our homeschooling. Makes me teary eyed to think he might not have time for that in a few years.

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On my phone so this will be short, but yes I agree lot discussions are valuable to the both of us. I don't require any writing, we talk about them as we read. He loved Alice in Wondeland, Tom Sawyer, and treasure island. He also likes how to read lit like a professor, he did ask for Dr Jekyll and me Hyde from that book but I thought I should wait for that one.

 

Thank you for the suggestions, I appreciate them!

 

Sorry, just one more comment. My DS was very much into how the brain works so we read Dr J & H quite early on. It just depends on the kid...I think the darkness of it sort of went over his head (but he re-read it at a later point and understood more). But he loved the story because the timing for him was right. It's a quick read but there's so much you can talk about if your son likes analyzing people. There is also no harm in revisiting books later when they are older. You get so much more from the second or third read sometimes. Sometimes, you wonder why you loved a book the first time and now dislike it the second time around and THAT can spark lovely discussions too.

 

Okay, better stop. Just don't get me started about lit lol.

 

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/snip

 

How do you pick things that will be engaging to a 9 year old at a high school level? 

 

Also, do you do strictly read alouds, or independent reading assignments, a combo of both? \snip

 

fwiw, I have never been one to insist that DD10 stay within her comprehension/reading ability level. I did try and get her to read what I thought were worthy books, but her love for stories dimmed a little bit for a few months after my great reading experiment.

 

Since then, I let her read what she wants, as long as she picks books from diverse genres. For instance, if she reads 'Diary of a wimpy kid' one day, I do emphasize that she reads a story with more complexity next. Right now, she's reading some book by Terry Pratchet (she's a big fan). Once she's done with that, I plan to encourage her to pick up a non-fantasy book, preferably with real world scenarios. Michael Morpurgo, Alexander McCall Smith,  or any of the newberry award winners are effective antidotes to overdose of fantasy or sci-fi. :D

 

wrt discussion about books- I don't pre-read any of her books, so no discussion unless she initiates it. The last book we discussed was 'The curious incident of the dog in the night time- Mark Haddon because she was fascinated and appalled in turns by the language. :tongue_smilie: YMMV.

 

ETA: She enjoyed Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Alexander Dumas, H.G. Wells, Lewis Carroll but was meh about Charles Dickens.

Edited by ebunny
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fwiw, I have never been one to insist that DD10 stay within her comprehension/reading ability level. I did try and get her to read what I thought were worthy books, but her love for stories dimmed a little bit for a few months after my great reading experiment.

 

Since then, I let her read what she wants, as long as she picks books from diverse genres. For instance, if she reads 'Diary of a wimpy kid' one day, I do emphasize that she reads a story with more complexity next. Right now, she's reading some book by Terry Pratchet (she's a big fan). Once she's done with that, I plan to encourage her to pick up a non-fantasy book, preferably with real world scenarios. Michael Morpurgo, Alexander McCall Smith,  or any of the newberry award winners are effective antidotes to overdose of fantasy or sci-fi. :D

 

wrt discussion about books- I don't pre-read any of her books, so no discussion unless she initiates it. The last book we discussed was 'The curious incident of the dog in the night time- Mark Haddon because she was fascinated and appalled in turns by the language. :tongue_smilie: YMMV.

 

ETA: She enjoyed Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Alexander Dumas, H.G. Wells, Lewis Carroll but was meh about Charles Dickens.

 

I'm with her.  I think my college reading of Bleak House really did me in. :lol:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I put DD in the Athena's Academy and G3 literature classes so she has someone else her age to talk about books with, and then I add more writing at home and ramp up MY output requirements to get to a level appropriate for her. I found that doing literature just with me was a complete dud, and while she can handle being in a group with older kids/adults for science stuff and hold her own, her world view is still that of a kid, not a teen or adult, and she's a lot more comfortable with other kids who happen to read really, really well vs adults.

 

How do she like those? DS loved the CIA class he took through Athena's in the fall, but it's the only class we've used. DS is a voracious reader but I'm concerned that he isn't getting enough exposure to other forms (poetry, plays, etc) and not delving much into literature terms...or is it too early for that? (5th/6th grade)

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How do she like those? DS loved the CIA class he took through Athena's in the fall, but it's the only class we've used. DS is a voracious reader but I'm concerned that he isn't getting enough exposure to other forms (poetry, plays, etc) and not delving much into literature terms...or is it too early for that? (5th/6th grade)

 

I don't think it's too early at all, especially for an advanced reader.

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Sorry, just one more comment. My DS was very much into how the brain works so we read Dr J & H quite early on. It just depends on the kid...I think the darkness of it sort of went over his head (but he re-read it at a later point and understood more). But he loved the story because the timing for him was right. It's a quick read but there's so much you can talk about if your son likes analyzing people. There is also no harm in revisiting books later when they are older. You get so much more from the second or third read sometimes. Sometimes, you wonder why you loved a book the first time and now dislike it the second time around and THAT can spark lovely discussions too.

 

Okay, better stop. Just don't get me started about lit lol.

 

 

I initially missed your great replies!  I think I will get a copy of Dr J& Mr H and see how he does.

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If you want preselected classics completely appropriate for that age levels, you might want to look at Journeys through Bookland. Volumes 3 or 4 up would probably be good matches. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1875(You could just look at what titles are included.)

 

My 11th grade dd was older, but she fell in love with epic poetry around age 11 or 12 (can't remember exactly.) Poetry is an easy way to stretch them. She read Paradise Lost in 8th grade and it is one of her favorites. Marmion, Siege of Valencia, Lady of the Lake, sections of ldylls of a King (Lancelot and Elaine was a favorite....but of course, she is a girl!)

 

Shakespeare is another favorite, but I wait until they are about 11 to really dig in. The comedies, especially Comedy of Errors, are fun at 9.

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  • 4 weeks later...

If you want preselected classics completely appropriate for that age levels, you might want to look at Journeys through Bookland. Volumes 3 or 4 up would probably be good matches. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1875(You could just look at what titles are included.)

 

My 11th grade dd was older, but she fell in love with epic poetry around age 11 or 12 (can't remember exactly.) Poetry is an easy way to stretch them. She read Paradise Lost in 8th grade and it is one of her favorites. Marmion, Siege of Valencia, Lady of the Lake, sections of ldylls of a King (Lancelot and Elaine was a favorite....but of course, she is a girl!)

 

Shakespeare is another favorite, but I wait until they are about 11 to really dig in. The comedies, especially Comedy of Errors, are fun at 9.

 

My DS is interested in Shakespeare!  We just watched Much Ado About Nothing and he actually enjoyed it.  I'll have to find Comedy of Errors.

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As an update of sorts.  We powered through The Hobbit, which neither of us loved. We just started A Wrinkle in Time, and we are doing a little Shakespeare study until the end of the year. 

 

I've decided for next year to back off a bit with the classics, maybe only do a few instead of 10. :)  I want him to read what excites him.

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As an update of sorts. We powered through The Hobbit, which neither of us loved. We just started A Wrinkle in Time, and we are doing a little Shakespeare study until the end of the year.

 

I've decided for next year to back off a bit with the classics, maybe only do a few instead of 10. :) I want him to read what excites him.

I don't know that you need to back off of classics completely. You might just need to find the sub-genre that gets him going. Ds really loved all the family stories when I read them aloud to him (Little House, Penderwicks, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables). He would not read those by himself. Independent reading has been much darker in nature (Fahrenheit 451, Giver, Hamlet, MacBeth, Trasure Island, Lord of the Flies). These are still classics. We talk about them a lot, but he wants to read them himself. Ds could care less about British literature (Dickens, Bronte, Austin). I don't even try those anymore. Maybe in a few years, but definitely not now.

 

Let your son explore non classics for a bit and see if a specific interest emerges.

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In the elementary grades, I let my kids read what they wished.

 

My 12yo, a voracious reader, remembers how just a few years ago, she would borrow stacks of Hank The Cowdog, knowing they were "terrible," along with classics, such as Jane Eyre and Les Miserables. I think, sometimes, we all just need a light reading to sort of cleanse our palates and set ourselves up for the next piece of serious literature.

Edited by Mutabilis
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