Has anyone started the MCT literature with their kids?

[Enough]

I was reading the teacher's guide this morning in preparation for later this fall when we start, and it was just a breath of fresh air. On paper, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for in a literature course.

 

Having said that, I'd love to hear from someone who's using it now, and whether it met your high hopes and expectations. :)

[Alte Veste Academy]

:bigear:

[Alte Veste Academy]

I got as far as reading the instructor manual. :bigear:

 

How is that? I am hesitant to purchase because, while I adore the MCTLA curriculum, his sidebar comments in the teacher's editions of the LA books annoy me. I'm worried that will be the case with the literature as well. So, then I find myself annoyed (very much so, actually) at having to buy the three special editions with his comments when I already own those three books in beautiful, illustrated forms. Why he couldn't make a teacher's guide go-along...grumble, grumble, grumble...different editions, I know...yadda, yadda, yadda...

 

Anyway, I'm afraid I'll buy the special set of books only to be annoyed by the sidebars.

 

So, still :bigear:

 

Sorry for the misplaced vent. :D

[Satori]

I've looked at it, but decided to wait until we're done with Grammar Island and maybe a good way through a few other of the Island books.

 

As for the sidenotes, I am glad I do have non-marked up versions of these books. But so far, they look more relevant than the sidenotes in the regular teacher's guides.

[Matryoshka]

I liked the instructor manual. I can see myself using the ideas in it to pick three other books and write my own questions.

 

I agree on not being thrilled about having to buy the three special edition books.

 

 

I just bought the instructor manual. My dd has already read two of the three books. I'm going to have her read our own nice illustrated edition of the third book, and use the suggestions and questions in the manual to talk about it (and relate it back to the other two). We'll get the sentence analysis and poetics (most of what's embedded in the special editions, at least from what I could see flipping through them at the conference) from the other elements of the MCT program that we're already doing.

 

If I didn't already own beautifully illustrated hardcover editions of these books, and/or if she hadn't already read them, I might have done differently. ;)

[Clear Creek]

Not yet, we are doing CLE Reading the first semester and MCT Lit second semester. I'll get back to ya next spring :001_smile:

[Dolphin]

I have read the instructor manual too, and I really like it. We are also going to wait until we have finished Grammar Island before starting.

[Beth in SW WA]

Dd8 is reading his Peter Pan currently. I appreciate his random commentary and sentence analysis. It inspired some conversation we did not have the first time through the book. She reads books so fast that it is slightly cumbersome to slow down and analyze the text. For that reason it is probably a worthwhile exercise. :)

 

I will have more info after we finish w/ his versions of Alice & WITW. Dd read them last year but this year we'll take it a bit slower and discuss.

[Enough]

Dd8 is reading his Peter Pan currently. I appreciate his random commentary and sentence analysis. It inspired some conversation we did not have the first time through the book. She reads books so fast that it is slightly cumbersome to slow down and analyze the text. For that reason it is probably a worthwhile exercise. :)

 

I will have more info after we finish w/ his versions of Alice & WITW. Dd read them last year but this year we'll take it a bit slower and discuss.

 

Ooh, this is exactly the experience I wanted to hear! I was a bit perplexed about why people didn't like the "interruptions" (random commentary and sentence analysis)- this is actually one of the main reasons I LIKED this lit curriculum vs others. (In addition to not wanting ridiculous busywork worksheets and quizzes. ;)) My DS is a super fast reader and I *want* him to slow down and chew on these books as he's reading them! :lol:

 

I should add- we have read all of these books about a million times in pure, uninterrupted ways- audio CD, me reading them aloud, him reading them on his own multiple times. The fact that this reading will be "interrupted" is a good thing, imo.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Ooh, this is exactly the experience I wanted to hear! I was a bit perplexed about why people didn't like the "interruptions" (random commentary and sentence analysis)- this is actually one of the main reasons I LIKED this lit curriculum vs others. (In addition to not wanting ridiculous busywork worksheets and quizzes. ;)) My DS is a super fast reader and I *want* him to slow down and chew on these books as he's reading them! :lol:

 

I should add- we have read all of these books about a million times in pure, uninterrupted ways- audio CD, me reading them aloud, him reading them on his own multiple times. The fact that this reading will be "interrupted" is a good thing, imo.

 

Thank you for your perspective! I remarked about being annoyed with the comments of the LA program (yes, they are insightful but I guess I want to experience the material as a child would :tongue_smilie:). I am worried I will feel the same about the literature, but it is helpful to hear your reasoning for why you want to slow down the reading.

 

Your comments made me do some self-reflection. I think I'm inherently resistant to the idea of reading literature for any other reason but the joy of it. Maybe I'm scarred by the line-by-line analysis of classic literature in high school English class? Constantly pointing out the beauty of speech or writing makes it lose some of its magic. For me, it can become cumbersome. Do I want to know the secrets behind the magician's tricks while I'm watching the show? The more I think about it, the more self-aware I become. If the comments were part of his writing program, I would appreciate them more than in his literature program. Will chew on this some more...

 

We have already read Peter and Alice here, so perhaps reading them again with the commentary would be less painful for me. I can't imagine reading a book for the first time with all the interruptions. Regardless of the poignant insights MCT makes at times, I think I'm going to have to decide if I philosophically agree with literature analysis at the elementary level.

 

ETA: This post wasn't directed at anyone in particular...or even trying to make or prove a point or influence anyone. I was just thinking out loud...

Edited September 9, 2011 by Alte Veste Academy

[Penelope]

I like the parent guide a lot.

 

Considering we already own other versions of the books, in retrospect I probably wouldn't have gotten them. But I did. And ds9 really dislikes reading with the "interruptions". I tell him they are meant to be read later on, but they bother him. So I let him read our own versions, and we go back through a little bit later, but mostly we use the quote quizzes (LOVE that idea! and so do the kids) and the discussion.

 

We have finished Alice and Peter Pan, still talking about Peter Pan. I think I will use the diagramming and poetics more with The Wind in the Willows. It's just more that kind of book.

 

I hope that with the second trio I will be able to buy just the parent guide. If so, that's probably what I'll do for the next set.

[Enough]

Thank you for your perspective! I remarked about being annoyed with the comments of the LA program (yes, they are insightful but I guess I want to experience the material as a child would :tongue_smilie:). I am worried I will feel the same about the literature, but it is helpful to hear your reasoning for why you want to slow down the reading.

 

Your comments made me do some self-reflection. I think I'm inherently resistant to the idea of reading literature for any other reason but the joy of it. Maybe I'm scarred by the line-by-line analysis of classic literature in high school English class? Constantly pointing out the beauty of speech or writing makes it lose some of its magic. For me, it can become cumbersome. Do I want to know the secrets behind the magician's tricks while I'm watching the show? The more I think about it, the more self-aware I become. If the comments were part of his writing program, I would appreciate them more than in his literature program. Will chew on this some more...

 

We have already read Peter and Alice here, so perhaps reading them again with the commentary would be less painful for me. I can't imagine reading a book for the first time with all the interruptions. Regardless of the poignant insights MCT makes at times, I think I'm going to have to decide if I philosophically agree with literature analysis at the elementary level.

 

ETA: This post wasn't directed at anyone in particular...or even trying to make or prove a point or influence anyone. I was just thinking out loud...

 

I completely understand what you're saying here, and I agree with you in principle. :) I lean 99% on this side, the side of reading for the joy of reading. Lit analysis in elementary ISN'T necessary and could absolutely kill the joy of reading for a child who isn't reading fluently OR at any age/reading level, if the analysis is done in a mind-numbing fashion. In my particular case, much of our homeschooling is based on literature- history this year is almost all living books, and virtually all of my son's "fun" reading is classics (lit or Newbery/Horn Book etc). He is reading tons of literature, for the joy of it, of his own choosing.

 

BECAUSE that is where my DS is- fluent and voracious reader, literature-rich curriculum and home in general, already read these books multiple times- this particular lit analysis curriculum struck a chord with me. In all honesty- if it weren't for the MCT lit curriculum, I would NOT be doing lit analysis with DS- for many of the reasons you outlined above!

[In the Rain]

...

 

Your comments made me do some self-reflection. I think I'm inherently resistant to the idea of reading literature for any other reason but the joy of it. Maybe I'm scarred by the line-by-line analysis of classic literature in high school English class? Constantly pointing out the beauty of speech or writing makes it lose some of its magic. For me, it can become cumbersome. Do I want to know the secrets behind the magician's tricks while I'm watching the show? The more I think about it, the more self-aware I become. If the comments were part of his writing program, I would appreciate them more than in his literature program. Will chew on this some more...

 

We have already read Peter and Alice here, so perhaps reading them again with the commentary would be less painful for me. I can't imagine reading a book for the first time with all the interruptions. Regardless of the poignant insights MCT makes at times, I think I'm going to have to decide if I philosophically agree with literature analysis at the elementary level.

...

 

I don't know whether or not this will make a difference to you, but MCT says to let the child first read the book completely, at their own speed. Only after the reading is completed, and the book has been discussed as a whole, are the language illustrations discussed. He also states that if the child does not love reading, we have failed.

 

We begin the program on Monday. I am looking forward to it. :001_smile: Dd will read the nice hardback, illustrated version we have. I'll read the MCT copy.

[StephanieZ]

I have begun and am very happy so far. (I bought the whole pkg.)

 

I actually love the editions of the books (even though I have them all free on Kindle already) because of the annotations and also simply for the vocabulary words at the bottom of the pages. I am half way through Alice with dd8, and we preview the vocab words for each chapter together before reading the chapter. That is pretty handy, even for my very verbally precocious daughter, as there are plenty of nice "big" words in Alice. It's fun to talk about them, and makes the reading experience richer for her to have a good understanding of most of the vocab w/o having to either stop and look it up (doesn't happen here) or let the word slip by with only a vague understanding because of context or other exposure.

 

I speed-read the TM before beginning Alice, and if I recall correctly, the idea was to read once through for simple enjoyment, without doing the side bar activities . . . and then go through afterwards to do the analysis, etc. So, we're still in our first read (finishing next week), and then I will re-read the TM to get more ideas for the subsequent work.

 

My 12 yo also read Alice last weekv(and really enjoyed it). I plan to do the activities/extension work with both of them once dd is done reading next week.

 

I am very pleased so far. I think the lit books could work really well to bridge time between MCT levels if you need to delay moving on the the next level. The sentences/poetic stuff/etc in the side bars would help review/reinforce the MCT LA stuff nicely.

 

I will post more of a review of our experiences with Alice in a month or so once we're done with it. :)

[Alte Veste Academy]

BECAUSE that is where my DS is- fluent and voracious reader, literature-rich curriculum and home in general, already read these books multiple times- this particular lit analysis curriculum struck a chord with me.

 

Thanks. This is a good point. Our home/school is very much the same.

 

I don't know whether or not this will make a difference to you, but MCT says to let the child first read the book completely, at their own speed. Only after the reading is completed, and the book has been discussed as a whole, are the language illustrations discussed. He also states that if the child does not love reading, we have failed.

 

Yes, this does make me feel better!

 

I have begun and am very happy so far. (I bought the whole pkg.)

 

I actually love the editions of the books (even though I have them all free on Kindle already) because of the annotations and also simply for the vocabulary words at the bottom of the pages. I am half way through Alice with dd8, and we preview the vocab words for each chapter together before reading the chapter. That is pretty handy, even for my very verbally precocious daughter, as there are plenty of nice "big" words in Alice. It's fun to talk about them, and makes the reading experience richer for her to have a good understanding of most of the vocab w/o having to either stop and look it up (doesn't happen here) or let the word slip by with only a vague understanding because of context or other exposure.

 

I speed-read the TM before beginning Alice, and if I recall correctly, the idea was to read once through for simple enjoyment, without doing the side bar activities . . . and then go through afterwards to do the analysis, etc. So, we're still in our first read (finishing next week), and then I will re-read the TM to get more ideas for the subsequent work.

 

My 12 yo also read Alice last weekv(and really enjoyed it). I plan to do the activities/extension work with both of them once dd is done reading next week.

 

I am very pleased so far. I think the lit books could work really well to bridge time between MCT levels if you need to delay moving on the the next level. The sentences/poetic stuff/etc in the side bars would help review/reinforce the MCT LA stuff nicely.

 

I will post more of a review of our experiences with Alice in a month or so once we're done with it. :)

 

This is very helpful. Are the vocab words and sidebar notes listed and/or discussed in the TM or only in the lit books? In other words, what level of disadvantage would you have by purchasing the TM alone?

 

I love the idea of making the program a bridge. (At the rate we are flying through Island, there is no way it will last a year. I hesitate to move ahead too quickly because I hear the program gets significantly more challenging and dd is grooving right along with us for now. I would like to keep it that way, if possible.) My primary question about using the program as a bridge would be whether all elements of MCTLA are evident in the lit program. Obviously vocab is there but do you also see the 4 level analysis of sentences? Does he point out examples of poetic devices and intentional, artful use of grammar? I want to keep the kids in the drink of all those terms and usage examples so they don't have to relearn when we start the Town Level.

 

I do look forward to your review.

[Beth in SW WA]

 

... because of the annotations and also simply for the vocabulary words at the bottom of the pages.

 

:iagree::iagree:

[Matryoshka]

This is very helpful. Are the vocab words and sidebar notes listed and/or discussed in the TM or only in the lit books? In other words, what level of disadvantage would you have by purchasing the TM alone?

 

The TM is a very slim volume, and it doesn't have any of the annotations in the books (though it has lots of other cool stuff).

 

Honestly, reading all this is making me rethink whether I want to buy the books after all, even if dd has read them already - the idea that the analysis is perhaps better done in a re-read is a good one.

[Alte Veste Academy]

The TM is a very slim volume, and it doesn't have any of the annotations in the books (though it has lots of other cool stuff).

 

Honestly, reading all this is making me rethink whether I want to buy the books after all, even if dd has read them already - the idea that the analysis is perhaps better done in a re-read is a good one.

 

Yes, to all of this. And thanks so much for the info on the TM. :)

[In the Rain]

My primary question about using the program as a bridge would be whether all elements of MCTLA are evident in the lit program. Obviously vocab is there but do you also see the 4 level analysis of sentences? Does he point out examples of poetic devices and intentional, artful use of grammar?

 

Looking through MCT's version of Wind in the Willows, I see elements of all the topics you mentioned. He mentions some of the poetry terms (like anapest) and points of how word choice and sentence structure affect the feel or flow of a passage. These are only in the book, not the parent manual.

 

For my dd, the 4 level analysis embedded in the literature program would probably not be enough. She is struggling with it, and we have gone back to the beginning of Practice Island.

 

ETA- You asked about using this program as a "bridge" before starting the Town level. For my dd (9yo) the review of poetic devices would be enough to keep it all fresh in her mind. For 4 level analysis, we would periodically rework sentences in Practice Island .

Edited September 10, 2011 by Julianna

[Alte Veste Academy]

Looking through MCT's version of Wind in the Willows, I see elements of all the topics you mentioned. He mentions some of the poetry terms (like anapest) and points of how word choice and sentence structure affect the feel or flow of a passage. These are only in the book, not the parent manual.

 

For my dd, the 4 level analysis embedded in the literature program would probably not be enough. She is struggling with it, and we have gone back to the beginning of Practice Island.

 

ETA- You asked about using this program as a "bridge" before starting the Town level. For my dd (9yo) the review of poetic devices would be enough to keep it all fresh in her mind. For 4 level analysis, we would periodically rework sentences in Practice Island .

 

Thank you! This is very helpful! :)

[Dolphin]

I don't know whether or not this will make a difference to you, but MCT says to let the child first read the book completely, at their own speed. Only after the reading is completed, and the book has been discussed as a whole, are the language illustrations discussed. He also states that if the child does not love reading, we have failed.

 

We begin the program on Monday. I am looking forward to it. :001_smile: Dd will read the nice hardback, illustrated version we have. I'll read the MCT copy.

 

I like this idea. I am really excited to start this, although I think it will be a month or 2. We have nice copies of Peter and Alice, I will have ds read that, and read the MCT one myself. Then we can re-read passages and go through the MCT notes.

 

Someone earlier was thinking out loud (the OP) about reading for the joy of reading. One of the things that appeals to me about the program is the Lit analysis at a young age. My ds, just breezes through books, I used to do the same thing. Than I decided to be an English Lit major in college. I started reading slower, while looking for things along the way. I was so surprised to find that reading could be even MORE enjoyable than I had ever realized. Sometimes it is the way something is written, the beauty of the language. Other times, I feel like I am on a treasure hunt to find things in the work that other people fly over.

 

Nicole

[carlamom2ansnm]

Since beginning hs'ing, we listen to audio books whenever we're in the car. DD picked out Peter Pan at this last trip to the library (she's never read it), so she's following along in MCT's book while we go, but is not getting into any of the sidebars. We will then read it together later and get more into the notes and such. I liked the idea of her having a feel for the story as a whole first, before getting into the nitty gritty :)