Talk to me about Window to the World Lit Analysis

[OnTheBrink]

If you used it, did you like it? What did you like about it? Is it teacher intensive? Did you use it for the whole year, or just a semester? Do I NEED to do Teaching the Classics first?

 

My thoughts are to use it for a part of the year and instead of doing Hamlet, as is scheduled, doing Julius Caesar instead, since we're doing ancient history next fall. I just don't want EVERY thing she reads to be tied to history, as she's not a huge fan of history and I don't particularly want the focus of all our schooling to be history-centered.

 

Anyway, any insights or comments are appreciated!

[FrogMom5]

We used it this yr. We used it for 1 semester. It can be teacher intensive depending on how closely you follow it. I reduced or skipped some exercises or we did them as discussion instead of in writing. I even had my ds do some of the chapters on his own, though the author says not to do that. So, for me, the program was not too teacher intensive.

 

I've never used Teaching the Classics so I can't speak to that but, we had not done any type of lit. analysis prior to using Windows To the World. I used it more as an intro. to lit. analysis, nothing too intense.

 

For us, it was a good program. It's pretty clear, has good explanations and examples and good practice. Have fun with it.

Denise

[swimmermom3]

If you used it, did you like it? What did you like about it? Is it teacher intensive? Did you use it for the whole year, or just a semester? Do I NEED to do Teaching the Classics first?

 

My thoughts are to use it for a part of the year and instead of doing Hamlet, as is scheduled, doing Julius Caesar instead, since we're doing ancient history next fall. I just don't want EVERY thing she reads to be tied to history, as she's not a huge fan of history and I don't particularly want the focus of all our schooling to be history-centered.

 

Anyway, any insights or comments are appreciated!

 

Michelle, have you searched the high school forum? Lori D. has done a couple of wonderful reviews on it and 8FilltheHeart has pointed out some perceived shortcomings. Check Lori's posts if you have trouble with the search.

 

Just a comment on Shakespeare. Has your dd read any Shakespeare? My 13yo read and watched both Hamlet and Julius Caesar this year and I am really glad we did Macbeth and Hamlet first. Those plays set the bar and motivated both ds and dd (18) to want to try and read and watch everything by Shakespeare. Caesar wasn't quite that inspiring, so I am glad it wasn't their first exposure. Windows is a great introduction for 8-10th grade. Have fun with both.

 

Learning to write a lit analysis paper

Edited May 18, 2011 by swimmermom3

[RENEEinVA]

We are about 3/4 of the way through WttW (doing as a semester course). I think it is a great program but it can be a little bit teacher intensive. My biggest pet peeve is that the teacher's manual does not show what is in the student manual. So you really have to go over each lesson carefully with the TM and SM in front of you BEFORE teaching the lesson. It would be so helpful to have all of the student information in the TM. Other than that little nuisance, I think it is a decent introduction to literary analysis. The kids don't seem to mind the lessons or homework and they seem to be learning quite a bit. We also use Teaching the Classics for discussing literature but you don't need one before the other one. HTH.

[mjbucks1]

I am using WttW with my ds (and the Jill Pike syllabus) and we LOVE it. The syllabus extends this curriculum to a full year. This will be one program I will do with all my children. I think the explanations are very good, and the readings are excellent. I do think it is sometimes confusing visually (there is a student book from IEW and the Jill Pike syllabus and a teacher manual for both as well). I will say that most of the year I have not prepared in advance (this way has made some of the lessons longer beacause I needed to figure out what to do, but it still worked :D). We did use the Teaching the Classics seminar. Literature analysis is not my stong suit, so I appreciated this program. I would not say it is absolutely necessary.

[OnTheBrink]

Michelle, have you searched the high school forum? Lori D. has done a couple of wonderful reviews on it and 8FilltheHeart has pointed out some perceived shortcomings. Check Lori's posts if you have trouble with the search.

 

Just a comment on Shakespeare. Has your dd read any Shakespeare? My 13yo read and watched both Hamlet and Julius Caesar this year and I am really glad we did Macbeth and Hamlet first. Those plays set the bar and motivated both ds and dd (18) to want to try and read and watch everything by Shakespeare. Caesar wasn't quite that inspiring, so I am glad it wasn't their first exposure. Windows is a great introduction for 8-10th grade. Have fun with both.

 

Learning to write a lit analysis paper

 

I had a hard time finding threads just by searching, but once I tagged this thread and then searched via the tag, I did find some other threads!

 

I'm not sure this is what I'm needing, though. *heavy sigh*

[kangato3]

I am using WttW with my ds (and the Jill Pike syllabus) and we LOVE it. The syllabus extends this curriculum to a full year. This will be one program I will do with all my children. I think the explanations are very good, and the readings are excellent. I do think it is sometimes confusing visually (there is a student book from IEW and the Jill Pike syllabus and a teacher manual for both as well). I will say that most of the year I have not prepared in advance (this way has made some of the lessons longer beacause I needed to figure out what to do, but it still worked :D). We did use the Teaching the Classics seminar. Literature analysis is not my stong suit, so I appreciated this program. I would not say it is absolutely necessary.

 

:iagree: This post could have been my own, word for word!