Literature Assignments

[erinfontenot]

How do you decide what literature for 6th and 4th graders to read? Do you have a list set for the year or by the book? Do you make them finish it if they don't care for something or move on? Do you make them report on the book or just narrate and then write it down on paper? I am weak on assigning literature and want to change that. Help!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

How do you decide what literature for 6th and 4th graders to read?

I picked selections from the 1000 Good books list for literature last year for my 4th and 2nd grader. I tried to get a mix of easier more fun books and challenging ones.

Do you have a list set for the year or by the book?

Last year we just went one book at a time. I'm hoping this year to have a list to work from before school begins.

Do you make them finish it if they don't care for something or move on?

I would have made them finish it, but we didn't have any that they didn't particularly like.

Do you make them report on the book or just narrate and then write it down on paper?

Last year they just narrated to me orally. I didn't require any writing. This year for my 5th grader I'm hoping to transition from straight narration to more of a discussion using Teaching the Classics with a few book reports thrown in the mix from time to time.

 

HTH

[LadyAberlin]

You could also use something like Lightening Literature that assigns certain books.

[prairiegirl]

I use Ambleside Online as well as the book, Real Learning, for our books lists. AO has year lists and I use them that way. I sometimes require narrations but usually we just discuss the book as we make our way through it. As my children get older I will require them to write their narrations. As far as finishing goes, if it is taking us quite awhile to finish and their is no interest, then I will let them pass on it.

[Chris in VA]

We read the recommendations from SOTW for literature selections. I am also adding a little more Am Hist for 4th grade, so we will read a few Sonlight suggestions, too. My dd is a voracious reader, so she's already covered a lot of the classics--things like A Little Princess, Secret Garden, Little House books, Caddie Woodlawn, etc. Tying our read alouds to our history and having her read some of the AG books gives us some structure and fills out the curricula I have (SOTW 3). We also just pick up good books, based on the things I liked to read as a child or I've seen recommended here.

 

As far as requiring narrations or assignments, I just don't do much. This year in ps, she had to write many small reports--it was ridiculous. She could have easily told me the same info in a minute or two. At one point, she had to read 12 biographies and fill in a report page for each. THe books were very thin--took her 9 minutes to read each one (she timed herself). I would rather she read something complex and compelling, and tell me about it as she goes. When we read aloud, I just ask for a quick recap each time we begin. I will also stop sometimes and see if she's understanding, by asking a few questions like, "Why did he do that?" or "What do you think will happen next?"

 

I'll probably have her do a few reports, but honestly, I think being able to tell me what happened, why it happened, who the characters are, what they are like, where the book is set, etc. is just fine at this point.

[erinfontenot]

What is ps?

[mcconnellboys]

How do you decide what literature for 6th and 4th graders to read?

 

I choose books that compliment the time period in history we are studying for the year. Over the years, I've accumulated a lot of books from book sales, so I go through those and put the ones that are pertinent on my list for the year. Then I check to see which WTM recommended books my library has available - and often I find other interesting things while doing such a search that I also add to the list. I generally do this over the summer before our year starts as I don't have time during the school year.

 

Do you have a list set for the year or by the book?

 

Yes, I do my list for the entire year so that I don't have to worry about it in the heat of the moment.

 

Do you make them finish it if they don't care for something or move on?

 

I don't really remember ever having too many complaints. I try to choose good books that I'm pretty sure they will like and that have some value. I believe that I would require them to finish a book even if they didn't like it, then talk about why. That might help me to steer away from similar books in future.

 

Do you make them report on the book or just narrate and then write it down on paper?

 

I often talk to them about what they're reading. They sometimes do a report on the book or on some prominent figure who the book was about. I don't require this as much from a fourth grader as from a middle schooler.

[Suzannah]

In the past we relied on the literature suggestions in the SOTW AG or other books that fit our history time period or were suggested by friends or VP or Sonlight reading lists. Narrations were only required on some of the books (but of course we always did history and science narrations.)

 

For 6th grade this year I noticed that the WTM reading list had a great deal of overlap with VP's Omnibus II (their 8th grade book.) So we did Omnibus using all of the WTM suggestions and many of the Omnibus selections. DS read the introduction in Omnibus, then the reading assignments as suggested in Omnibus (although we sometimes used the edition recommended by WTM instead of VP so the readings didn't always match exactly.) We discussed the readings orally, but DS only did a few of the writing assignments and optional activities. Since this was an 8th grade book and we were working on CW Homer for writing, I didn't want to overwhelm him with work. He did write summaries of each book and added the books to our timeline.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention that I do generally make DS finish all of the assigned books, but when we bring 50 books home from the library I don't necessarily make him read all of each one. I do make a distinction between books which are assigned and books which are supplemental. From this past year, the only reading we did that was a bit slow was Song of Roland. But I wouldn't say that DS didn't like it. It just wasn't one of his favorites. He did fine with Inferno, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Canterbury Tales, Beowulf and others. I think that having the readings divided up into assignments helped with the more challenging ones. He wasn't faced with reading the whole thing, just a few chapters at a time.

Edited June 8, 2009 by Suzannah

[LNC]

I use Veritas First Favorites in 1rst and 2nd grade. I use Veritas reading comp guides w/ Christian Light readers (only) in 3rd grade. In 4th and up I use the Christian Light Sunrise readers with Lightunits (there are only 5 lightunits in 4th grades and up for the reading program) combined with 4 Veritas Press Comp guides.

 

Next year

My 3rd grade son:

1. will read to me every day orally from Christian Light and Pathway 3rd grade readers

2.Veritas Comp Guides - Boxcar, Homer Price and Pinocchio

 

My 5th grade daughter:

1.Christian Light Reading 5th grade w/ 5 lightunits

2. Veritas Comp Guides - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Misty of Chincoteague, Swiss Family Robinson and Little Women

 

I have scheduled out weekly assignment checklists in quarter planners to stay on track.

 

We use Truthquest w/SOTW for History and read lots of historical fiction and non-fiction for that. We will study Carry on Mr. Bowditch and Across Five Aprils in depth using Progeny Press guides.

 

HTH!

Edited June 8, 2009 by LNC

[AuntPol]

What is ps?

 

public school