Literature Analysis and TOG

[hollyhillhomeschool]

Looking for thoughts from those who have journeyed through this one (and for those in the same leaky boat I am in!:D)

 

I am continuing TOG through high school, (I am pretty sure) and have been making up my own literature analysis to augment TOG's (since I am not sure TOG's is the very best, to be honest.) This past year, for 8th grade ds and then 6th dd, we read 6-7 big classic books matching our time period and did our own study of them, augmenting with Teaching the Classics IEW, Stobaugh's book (very hard to use...ugggh...) and Spark notes. Very time consuming exercise....

 

Has anyone found a better way? Or is it all just as time consuming? I would love to find a book that takes one literary element at a time--character development, for example, and then has a sample of short stories that you work through to understand how character development is critical and how different authors work through it. We could then apply this to our TOG book we are reading. Then next chapter might be "setting" and there would be short stories to work through that. I could then have them apply this mini lesson to the TOG book we are reading for that time...

 

I am looking for a relatively analytical, rigorous literary analysis textbook/curriculum....one that would prepare well for SAT's and perhaps an AP. College-bound, LAC type of prep.

 

This year we are 9th grade, TOG year 2 (the second half--I always break yr 2 into two parts because there is so much to cover.)

 

Any suggestions? Really would love to find something easier for me as a teacher (with a 2 year old and a dd age 11 who both need lots of time), but not giving up on quality.

 

Suggestions?

 

I am thinking about IEW Windows on the World, but I doubt it covers the basics of literary analysis. Does it?

 

We incorporate our writing assignments into lit analysis by having one week assignment as a literary analysis essay, the next one a creative one which incorporates that element.

 

[i probably should go back and also refresh us all on persuasive, descriptive since we haven't done lots of that for awhile, but that's almost a parenthetical reminder to myself...because I am so forgetful:lol:]

[choirfarm]

The rhetoric level literature analysis is VERY thorough.. In fact year 3 is going to be WAY too hard for my 9th grader. So I am having him do the framework and poetic readings and applying what he has learned to different books. That is what I would suggest. I am going to have him do the terms and reading on let us say character analysis. Sometimes he reads the literature selections, but other times for things like Crime and Punishment I may do a substitute/grade level selection and have him do the same assignment. Does that make sense??

Christine

[Leanna Tomlinson]

Did you do Rhetoric or Dialectic this past year? I have been teaching year 2 Lit to my Rhetoric co-op class, and I feel like it is almost too much. The depth of analysis mimics what my college student is doing in her literature classes. I do feel like the Dialectic choices for year 2 may be on the easy end, but I didn't teach the D class this year and all of my kids are R, UG, and LG right now.

 

Also, I just received my printed year 3 and it looks like the Dialectic Lit discussions have been turned up a notch from year 2. I was happy to see some more difficult works included for Dialectic, but I am confused as to why they would include a rewrite of Tom Sawyer rather than the original work. IMHO the Rhetoric level literature and analysis is more than adequate for high school.

 

HTH,

Leanna

[choirfarm]

Yep, I was surprised that Tom Sawyer and David Copperfield were not real versions. But they will read the real versions. I have made a modified rhetoric/dialectic level for my boys 7th and 9th next year. The literature selections for unit 4 are REALLY dark and heavy in my opinion. So as I said, we will apply literature techniques to different books.

 

Christine

 

Did you do Rhetoric or Dialectic this past year? I have been teaching year 2 Lit to my Rhetoric co-op class, and I feel like it is almost too much. The depth of analysis mimics what my college student is doing in her literature classes. I do feel like the Dialectic choices for year 2 may be on the easy end, but I didn't teach the D class this year and all of my kids are R, UG, and LG right now.

 

Also, I just received my printed year 3 and it looks like the Dialectic Lit discussions have been turned up a notch from year 2. I was happy to see some more difficult works included for Dialectic, but I am confused as to why they would include a rewrite of Tom Sawyer rather than the original work. IMHO the Rhetoric level literature and analysis is more than adequate for high school.

 

HTH,

Leanna

[coopers5]

I really feel like the TOG lit. analysis is better than anything I have seen in my 12 years of homeschooling.

My daughter has learned tremendously from it.

 

I know that sometimes TOG will assign an abridged version of something only because of time constraints and they've made those decisions here and there in order to fit in more works. It's a trade-off type thing.

 

My daughter (and I) have learned more about poetry and other genres in the last couple of years than I can elaborate on. She now appreciates and understands how to look at poetry, for example.

 

I just can't imagine ADDING to TOG. :001_unsure: There is SO much there.

 

Perhaps people might want to do more papers and literary response writing or test your children more on concepts than is assigned, etc., but I feel my daughter is very well prepared not only for an AP course she's hoping to take next year, but already is ahead of many of her counterparts who have no idea how to take apart literature and appreciate it, let alone, write about it.

 

That's my 2 cents.

[Denise in NE]

We are using Windows on the World, and it certainly does teach literary analysis using the methods you described. I don't have the book in front of me, but there are 13 units which cover 13 different elements (setting, character development, irony, tone, point of view, etc...). All the reading material is provided. You could easily stretch it out over the year if you do the supplementary activities with their resources or your literature from TOG. A final exam (timed essay) is also included.

 

IEW has a very generous return policy, so I would at least give it a try if you feel you need something more.

[Karenciavo]

Also, I just received my printed year 3 and it looks like the Dialectic Lit discussions have been turned up a notch from year 2. I was happy to see some more difficult works included for Dialectic, but I am confused as to why they would include a rewrite of Tom Sawyer rather than the original work. IMHO the Rhetoric level literature and analysis is more than adequate for high school.

 

HTH,

Leanna

 

I know, retold Tom Sawyer had me :confused:, we read the real deal, same with Great Expectations which my ds14 loved. Frankenstein, on the other hand, I would skip/save for high school.

[Rhondabee]

Are you using the original TOG? The Redesign (supposedly) is much better at analysis.

[hollyhillhomeschool]

Good point about redesign...no, I didn't go for the redesign with TOG 2. I am too cheap. I used the old TOG 2 last go around and couldn't really justify coughing up the extra....I do have redesign for 3 and 4. So that should help (and has helped in the past! Yr 1 was excellent in redesign.)

 

Thanks to others for the clarity on Windows on the World...that makes me want to go ahead with that as a supplement.

 

I am so happy to hear such positive feedback about TOG lit analysis. Makes me think that sometimes I look at grass being much greener on other curriculum lawns. Sometimes I need a :chillpill: (okay no laughing or spitting your coffee all over the keyboard, Liz in Ma!)

 

I do think that because we are studying lit chronologically in TOG that we don't go through lit elements in a logical, systematic way. But it probably all gets covered eventually. Supplementing with Windows on the World will make me chill, though, so I will go ahead with that.

 

I was also remiss in doing a lot of the lit type questions in the LG stage. Too time intensive, in combination with keeping up with all the reading.

 

But have changed now that we are in dialectic.

 

I certainly have not done TOG in the full prescribed way every time. The buffet has had to be hand-picked....

 

Thanks all, for your help, and look forward to even more suggestions...

[coopers5]

The redesigned is supposed to be much better than the classic. Yes - I do know that. In fact, what I heard from other customers and from the publishers when I was first considering buying it, was that a large reason for redesign was to remake, redo, revamp the rhetoric lit. portion.

 

What I really appreciate about TOG is the emphasis put on the discussion time. I feel like this is so key with students studying literature. I like that all the background is there for me, the scripting, etc.

My daughter has devoured it. (wish I'd had TOG redesign when my other two, graduated kids were still at home....)

 

Anyway, just tossing that in. :)

[Kareni]

I would love to find a book that takes one literary element at a time--character development, for example, and then has a sample of short stories that you work through to understand how character development is critical and how different authors work through it.

 

 

This does sound like it would be a great find. Let us know if you stumble across it!

 

In the meanwhile, you might check if your library has Using Picture Story Books to Teach Literary Devices: Recommended Books for Children and Young Adults by Susan Hall. It sounds like it could be a good approach.

 

Also, my understanding of Lightning Literature from Hewitt is that it teaches on literary element per book. If you were to do a lesson there, you could carry that study on to additional works.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Janice in NJ]

Windows may be just what you want. It covers lit analysis nicely - including instruction on how to write a lit. analysis essay.

 

If you find that you still want more/something else, I would recommend the following:

 

Using Picture Story Books to Teach Literary Devices

http://www.amazon.com/Using-Picture-Story-Literary-Devices/dp/1591584930/ref=pd_sim_b_3

 

Yup - picture books. LOVE it. An accessible way to introduce this stuff. Who doesn't love a great picture book?

 

And here's a text with exercises for high-school kids. Norton's Essential Literary Terms:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Literary-Terms-Norton-Exercises/dp/0393928373/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240428535&sr=1-2

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

[Janice in NJ]

Great minds think alike. ;)

[Kareni]

Great minds think alike. ;)

 

 

Hey, I can agree with that!

 

Regards,

Kareni