Classical Writing Literature Selections

[Kfamily]

Classical Writing has their literature selections link ready now. They have required and supplemental literature for almost all of their books. This is so helpful to me in my planning for high school, I thought I would share this.:001_smile:

 

http://www.classicalwriting.com/Literature.htm

[prairiegirl]

Thank you for this. We will be using CW Diogenes next year but I didn't realize that there was a reading list as well. :001_huh: We are using AO as well. How do you incorporate CW's reading list with the reading list from your other subjects?

[KatieH]

Thanks! This is our first year using CW (Aesop). I'm pleased to see we've already been doing many of the recommended reading for 3rd grade! We're on the last chapter of Black Ships Before Troy (children's Iliad, I recommend it!) and are moving on to The Wanderings of Odysessus next (children's Odyssey). We use MP Christian Studies, as well as the Greek Myths course. We haven't touched much on Norse mythology, though. I might add that in towards the end of the year.

[Kfamily]

:lol: This is what I look like while dealing with this very question!:D

 

I worked on this last night and came up with a rough plan. But, I'll be honest, it isn't neat and tidy. Their book choices do not follow a chronological plan. They chose books to support their main themes for each level. I try to remember that:

 

1. The optional books are optional.

2. Even some of the required books are optional.

3. Reading the book earlier is fine, since writing while using the book as a model would be good review anyway.

4. There is overlap. Many of the books will be covered at some point in AO as well. (Just not in same order...:tongue_smilie:)

 

This turned out to be even more difficult for me since I also plan to use the guides from Fran Rutherford. I ended up with books from both CW and the FR guides and not much room for anything else except what overlapped from AO. I'm very close to deciding that I'm not going to follow AO, but will use the books I think are best for our family. But I will follow them with a CM method. I know that doesn't make sense, but ....

 

If I ever get this sorted out better than I have now, I'll be happy to share. Although you may not want to see it...:D I really still believe that using Classical Writing, at least in some form, is going to be the best solution I have right now to be a good writing teacher for dd. Maybe later I'll come to a different place, but for now this is our path. Hopefully, my younger dd will benefit from my new education. I just can't seem to feel confident that narrations and grammar alone as used with AO are going to get dd where I'd like her to be by the end of 12th. If more people who used AO at this age existed or would be willing to share how they do this, I might feel confident enough. As it stands now the only teacher my dd and I have is me.

[prairiegirl]

: If I ever get this sorted out better than I have now, I'll be happy to share. Although you may not want to see it...:D I really still believe that using Classical Writing, at least in some form, is going to be the best solution I have right now to be a good writing teacher for dd. Maybe later I'll come to a different place, but for now this is our path. Hopefully, my younger dd will benefit from my new education. I just can't seem to feel confident that narrations and grammar alone as used with AO are going to get dd where I'd like her to be by the end of 12th. If more people who used AO at this age existed or would be willing to share how they do this, I might feel confident enough. As it stands now the only teacher my dd and I have is me.

 

Yes, please, I would be interested in seeing it. I am in the same place as your are with writing. I use CW because this is my first time through and I have no idea what I am doing. I am learning as I go and, unfortunately, my dd is the guinea pig. I think when my two youngers come along at this place, I will be better equipped to handle the writing thing. Reading 8FillstheHeart's post in OhElizabeth's writing thread has already helped to dissipate the fog. But for right now, I feel the need to stay with CW.

 

My dd will be doing a combination of David Hicks' humanities book list (found in the back of his Norms and Nobility book) and AO Yr 7 next year. This is a hefty list and I don't want to pile anymore on her. I was thinking of just making the CW booklist (at least the required reading) as read alouds for her and I. Now just to figure out when to do this. Yeah.;)

[Melissa B]

My dd will be doing a combination of David Hicks' humanities book list (found in the back of his Norms and Nobility book) and AO Yr 7 next year. This is a hefty list and I don't want to pile anymore on her. I was thinking of just making the CW booklist (at least the required reading) as read alouds for her and I. Now just to figure out when to do this. Yeah.;)

 

Julia,

 

What makes Hicks' book list different from Ambleside or other classical/CM book lists? I've not yet found his book at a cost effective enough price to purchase. How are his ideas different from Mason's?

[prairiegirl]

Julia,

 

What makes Hicks' book list different from Ambleside or other classical/CM book lists? I've not yet found his book at a cost effective enough price to purchase. How are his ideas different from Mason's?

 

Melissa, the basic difference is that Hicks' list is only for history and literature. He does have suggestions for poems to memorize but the other subject suggestions are only by topic, for ex., for science he suggests earth science but no specific book or curriculum. I do believe in the older grades he does have some book suggestions for worldview. AO, on the other hand, has book recommendations for all subjects.

 

Also, Hicks does Medieval history in Gr. 7 and the 1600s --1800s for Gr. 8, then he goes back to Ancients and goes through a 4 yr. cycle a la WTM. AOs history cycle is 6 yrs. so they take it much slower.

 

Some of the suggestions in Hicks' list is found in the 'free reading' section of AO and I wanted those books to have more of a priority, like Beowulf and The Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Some of Hicks' suggestions for Gr. 7 are used in AO for Yr. 8. But I did discover that with Hicks' list you need to definitely pre-read. Hicks' suggests reading Grendel on the Gr. 7 list. I read that book last week and there is no way that my 12 yr. old is going to read that book. I trust the AO advisory with their suggestions. Even though I do try to pre-read all of their suggestions, some fall through the cracks but I know that those books have been scrutinized and debated by the advisory so I feel more comfortable in letting a book getting by me unread. Not so with Hicks' list.

 

N&N is an extremely heavy read. It took me 3 years to get through it. I did like the book and it did inspire me but it is deep. The major difference between Hicks and CM is that Hicks advocates a mentor relationship between teacher and student. The teacher should lead the student through the learning. CM believes that the teacher should let the student make connections on their own. There may be more differences but this is the biggest one.

 

Hope this answers your questions. :001_smile:

[Melissa B]

Thanks Julia! That does help.