Looking for Book study for 5th grader to help round out LA

[nukeswife]

Now that I've decided on JAG for grammar I'm going to need to fill in some time with LA. My son will also be doing All Things fun and Fascinating for writing and Phonetic Zoo for spelling. Since JAG is only 11 weeks I'd like to work on his reading skills and comprehension. I've looked at many of the things out there but haven't found anything secular just for this. Would it be worth it to get LLATL or somthing like that just for the Book Studies? Anything else you'd recommend that wouldn't be too difficult to secularize?

 

Thanks in advance

[Lori D.]

Since JAG is only 11 weeks I'd like to work on his reading skills and comprehension. I've looked at many of the things out there but haven't found anything secular just for this. Would it be worth it to get LLATL or somthing like that just for the Book Studies?

 

 

Well, since JAG will only take you less than 1/3rd of your school year, you can use ALL of LLATL for the rest of the 2/3rd of the year to keep up those grammar skills, and you can sometimes substitute one of the LLATL writing assignments for your regular writing program just to give you some variety.

 

 

Or, what about compiling a list of great books to enjoy reading (see ideas for books, and past threads with great lists, below), and then using 2-3 of the Garlic Press publishers Discovering Literature series of MEATY literature guides to start some gentle lit. studies? Here are guides to books that would be GREAT for 5th grade:

 

- My Side of the Mountain

- Where the Red Fern Grows

- Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

- Island of the Blue Dolphins

- Redwall

 

See inside the guides at http://www.rainbowresource.com (type "Discovering Literature series" into the search box).

 

 

 

And here is a list of "classic" 5th grade books:

- Sounder

- My Side of the Mountain

- The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

- From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

- Island of the Blue Dolphins

- In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

- The Phantom Tollbooth

- Number the Stars

- Chronicles of Narnia

- The Secret Garden

- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

- Where the Red Fern Grows (or, Summer of the Monkeys)

- Just So Stories

- Rikki Tikki Tavi

- The Incredible Journey

- The Hobbit (maybe 6th grade)

- Master Puppeteer (maybe 6th grade)

 

Ideas for great books:

- Sonlight (by grade level/history based) = http://www.sonlight.com

- 1000 Good Books (by general level) = http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html

- Ambleside Online curriculum (by grade) = http://www.amblesideonline.com

- Tanglewood School (by grade level/history based) = http://www.tanglewoodeducation.com

 

 

Past threads with classic 5th grade literature lists:

 

So, What's on Your 5th Grader's Reading List?

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77258&highlight=books+5th+grade

 

What's on Your 5th Grade Literature List?

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37272&highlight=books+5th+grade

 

 

BEST of luck, whatever you decide! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[nukeswife]

Lori,

Thanks so much for the list. I'm going to print out your post so I have it with me. My son is a bit of reluctant reader so that's why I want to focus on it. Maybe with LLATL the lack of books wouldn't be so great. I don't want to push him too much, but I don't want a slacker on my hands either. I have purchased some Evan Moor Literature Pockets for Fiction and Non-Fiction. This may seem childish to some, but my son loves doing history pockets and since those to Lit Pockets are open ended, in that they don't use specific books I could fit in some of the ones you mentioned. Now to decide on those books.

 

Oh and I'll keep those Garlic Press ones in my mind just in case.

[elegantlion]

Have you looked at the Barnes and Noble Flash Kids Reading books. They are fairly simple and could even be done inbetween some real books. My ds is a reluctant reader but these were colorful enough and short enough to keep his comprehension fresh.

[PeterPan]

It's not the way I do it, but you might find it helpful to try working through some books the way VP does in their schools using their guides. From what I've been told, they read the book aloud in class, taking turns reading, then the do the worksheets together and finally a projects. Working through some of those books aloud, together, might help him over a hump.

 

With my dd I'm doing (just started) a spin-off of the WTM 9th gr recs for reading, having her keep a reading journal where she writes a chapter summary and looks up 3 words she didn't know. She has a tendency to skip words she doesn't know, so I'm trying to work on that. It was fun today, so we'll see how it goes.

 

In other words, any way you get them into the books is good, whether it's aloud, together, with a guide, with no guide, whatever you want. You could draw a squiggley line and put up stickers each time he completes a chapter and give a prize at the end. Incentives are always good. :)

[LadyAberlin]

I'm enjoying Inside Stories by Prufrock Press. I'm using it with a child that I'm tutoring. It assigns a couple of chapters and then has about 6-8 questions about them. I really like the book selections too. I plan on using them with my kids when they are old enough. I also like the looks of the upper grammar lit guides put out by Logos school. RR carries both of these.