Kolbe Academy lit study ?'s

[redsquirrel]

I am considering the Kolbe Academy lit program for 7th & 8th grades. It is meant to be used over 2 years. It is steep price, 100$ :ohmy: but it meant to be used over two school years. However, if it isn't what I need, I am out a whole chunk of cash. I have never spent that much $$ on one school thing.

 

I did some board research and there was some feedback that it had been long on comprehension questions and short on instruction regarding intro to literary analysis. However, I am under the impression that they are selling a revamped version.

 

The 100$ is just for the teacher's guide/schedule/lesson plans. I can get all the books for free. My husband is a librarian at a major university so lit books are freely available for an entire year.

 

Has anyone used this recently? Do you think it was 'worth' the 100$? I know that is difficult to answer. I guess I should ask if you feel like your child had a better educational experience because you had that resource.

 

I had been planning to just have him read from the reading list in TWTM for the 7th grade year and then have a conversation about what he read. However, it is sometimes difficult for me to think of adequate questions. I was hoping the Kolbe program could help with that. I also like the schedule. I feel like I drop the ball on that more often that I would like.

 

I am planning to use "Figuratively Speaking" next year. Maybe I could just use what we use there as the focus on our literary study?

 

Here is a link for the Kolbe curriculum if anyone is interested in giving feedback.

 

http://www.kolbe.org/Junior-High-Literature-Curriculum/

 

Maybe I should cross post on the high school board. Hmmm...

[arcara]

I used the Middle school level for 4-6 th grades. The comprehension questions can be purchased separately for something like $30. The lesson plans you're referring to have weekly essay questions and final exams for each book. I didn't have the 7-8th grade version that you're looking at, but the middle school version didn't have the level of lit analysis I wanted. I though the plans were ok, but not great.

 

Have you looked at Teaching the Classics? It would be a bit less money and you could use what you learned to teach any book well. I just finished going through it, and I'm really excited about it! I feel like I can finally do good lit analysis beyond comprehension questions.

[redsquirrel]

Thank you so much for your feedback on Kolbe. I've heard such good things about their high school program, I was hoping their jr high materials would be similar. OTOH, maybe I am expecting too much from my 7th grader. I notice in the Kolbe material they are only requiring a 3 paragraph "essay" from 7th and 8th graders. WWE1 asked for more than that. I think it also taught them more.

 

I get a bit confused with Teach the Classics. I see there are teacher training DVDs and then teacher guides for individual books. Do I use one and not the other? Both? I am very comfortable talking about things like theme and structure, just not with a middle school aged child. I have a degree in literature, but that isn't much help with leading a discussion with a 12 year old boy. So far, all it means is that whatever it is, I have already read it and can't remember what I wrote about it.

 

eta: how religious is Teach the Classics? I understand that much of literature draws on christian imagery, but I don't want to be proselytized to in my lit program. We are not Christian, but my son is familiar with biblical imagery and allusions.

Edited July 11, 2012 by redsquirrel

[catholicmommy]

I just bought these for my upcoming 7th grader. I can tell you a bit about them. Firstly, the Jr High lit course is much much more robust than the elementary course. The elem. course is fine for those ages (we used the comprehension questions orally to check understanding and then had conversations about the books).

 

The Jr high course has a lot more in it.

 

First There are three parts to purchase:

 

1) The Student book

2) The Teacher's Guide

3) The Course Plans

 

1) The Student Book: $20.

 

This is a large spiral bound book with 613 pages. It is basically a workbook with vocabulary to fill in and comprehension questions broken down by chapters. The last 85 pages contain a glossary (mini dictionary) of all of the vocabulary words assigned for each story.

 

Some of the books will have a MEMORY GEM which is a memorable sentence from the book that is suggested for memory work.

 

Sprinkled throughout the comprehension questions, are questions about the Literary Devices that the author uses, Elements of Fiction, and notes about the story. Here are a few of the questions from some of the chapters in Oliver Twist:

 

 

 

vocabulary: Parish__________________

1) Why was it a good thing that Oliver was born in a workhouse?

2) Literary Device: irony-- How does Dickens employ irony in the sentence about Oliver being lucky to be born in a workhouse?

3) What do Oliver's 'old calico robes' signify?

4) Literary Device: foreshadowing- How does the last sentence of the chapter foreshadow Oliver's future?

 

ch 2

2)Elements of Fiction: Tone- The first paragraphs of this chapter is laden with sarcasm. Give some examples of phrases that exhibit Dickens' sarcastic tone.

 

6) Element of Fiction: inciting event-- What event does Dickens say "would exercise the most material influence over all [Oliver's] future fortunes?"

 

ch 6

--note: characterization-- Oliver's characterization broadens dramatically in this chapter. We no longer see him as simply a downtrodden boy, he also has a deep love for his unknown mother and a strong will when roused. These aspects of his character make his ability for survival throughout the story more believable.

 

ch 10

-NOTE: Point of view-- In ch 9 and ch 10, the point of view changes temporarily from that of omniscient narrator to Oliver's limited notion of what business Fagin is teaching to the boys. This makes the moment when Oliver realizes that the boys are pickpockets all the more dramatic.

 

ch 50

1) element of fiction: setting -- What is the setting for this chapter, and why does Dickens spend so much time describing it?

 

-Note: Climax- Although the climax of the novel could be considered to start with the death of Nancy and continue until the end of this chapter, Sikes' death is the true climax of the novel. After this event, there is a falling action which brings the novel to a conclusion.

2) The Teacher's Guide: $20

 

This has all the content from the Student book (except the glossary) with the answers added. The suggested answers are all short (one or two sentences long). This book is half the size as the student book because there are no blank lines for filling in the answers and the font is smaller. If you were merely going to use the questions and vocabulary as an oral exercise, you wouldn't need the student book.

3) The Course Plans: $100

Like all Kolbe courses, these are a weekly breakdown of what work to do each day. Samples available on their website here. There is easily over 600 pages of material. It is 3 hole punched and unbound.

 

The course plans contain the following:

 

- a table showing how many weeks each book is scheduled for, the AR Reading level as well as the Kolbe suggested reading level.

 

- a book report format sheet that goes into a lot of detail as to how to do a literary review of each book, and an example of what it would look like for a 7th-8th grader.

 

- three pages describing the Elements of Fiction (plot, setting, character, mood, tone, point of view, symbol, theme.

 

- two pages of discussion of Literary Devices (mostly a list of devices with a short definition). Both of the preceding two sections are sprinkled throughout the comprehension questions in the student guide as I mentioned above.

 

After this comes the bulk of the course plans: a) novel study b) Saint books c) Short Story Course, and d) Poetry course.

 

It starts with a suggestion to discuss the setting, theme and characters with the student:

 

Discuss the setting, theme and characters with the student. Each week's introduction includes the chapters that will be read that week, instructions for literary devices and elements of action that the student will encounter during the week, and a written assignment... Discuss the literary devices and elements of fiction with the student using the worksheets included with these course plans (the preceding two sections)....

 

Next it discusses the Elements of Fiction specific to that story. Setting, theme, characters. This is a helpful overview for the parent... especially if you haven't read the book.

 

There is an overview of the week that lists the literary devices and elements of fiction they will encounter and suggest you discuss their definitions. The suggest writing assignment for the week is included here. It is meant to be one or two paragraphs long... the book report at the end of the book is a longer piece of writing.

 

example of writing assignment from Oliver Twist:

 

week 1:

Describe the abuse that Oliver endures through his early years in the workhouse and beyond.

 

week 2:

Which do you think hurts Oliver more, his early life of poverty and neglect, or his belieft that he has let Mr. Brownlow down? DO you think Oliver's sweet temperament is believable after all that he has endured? (hint: Think of other characters in the book who have received the same treatment and how they have responded to their abuse.)

 

week 3:

Examine the character of Fagin. How does his badness compare to that of Bill Sikes? Does he genuinely care for the boys, or just use them for his own ends? Why do you think he lives in such miserable surroundings even though he has a stockpile of jewels?

 

week 4:

Describe the relationship of Rose Maylie to Oliver. How are their characters similar, in personality and situation? Next, describe the contrast of Rose to Nancy. How are the young women similar, and how are they different?

 

Following this, the course plans go into a breakdown of MON, TUES, etc,.. Each day lists what pages to read and what study questions to follow. Then there is a little summary of what is happening in each chapter. This is a great help to the parent who might not have time to actually read the book... or who has read the book awhile ago but can't remember what happened in each particular chapter.

 

After the daily breakdown, there is an Assignment Answer Key which gives suggested answers to the weekly assignment questions.

 

Finally, there is the optional Final Exam. This usually has three or four parts:

I. short descriptions of various characters from the book

II. short answer questions about the book.

III. Vocabulary definitions

IV. Essay (at least 3 paragraphs with examples or quotes front he text to support the answer).

 

example from Pride and prejudice:

"The author wished that the reader would learn by the end of this novel how she uses humour to illuminate her character's flaws. Which character or characters are the most comical to you and why? Explain within the realm of what is morally or unmorally acceptable according to the author. In other words, recognize that humour only sheds light on character flaws, but does not excuse them. Be sure to analyze what Austen views as morally reprehensible behaviour in the character)s_ that you choose, and describe how comedy illuminates it.

example from Treasure Island:

"Jim is not on a quest for a treasure of gold. Instead, his quest is to discover what type of man he is to become. His father is dead, so he must gain the judgement to see who he should emulate instead. The two main characters vying for the place of after figure are Doctor Livesey and Long John Silver. Who wins out in the end, and in what way does he do it?

 

-----

 

The short Story course is one quarter long: 7 weeks of material, one week of review and one week of final exams. The course plans include supplemental material called "how to read and appreciate a short story", and all the same information in the novel study course plans including weekly assignments, summaries and final exams.

 

The Poetry Course is also a quarter long. 7 weeks of material, 1 week of review, 1 week for exams. It includes supplemental material called "The different forms of poetry", and all the same information included in the novel study course.

 

Well, that was longer than I had thought I would actually type out. I hope it helps someone decide on what to do.

 

Let me know if you want any other specific information about the course plans or student books :-)

Edited July 11, 2012 by catholicmommy
adding price and link for course plans

[txhomemom]

I am curious about the Kolbe lit guides as well. How do the elementary lit plans differ from the junior high plans? I know some people actually use the junior high lit plans for the high school level, do you think this is adequate for that level (I was thinking 9th grade)?

 

I was thinking of using the Elementary lit plans for 8th grade and then the junior high lit plans for 9th grade, but not sure if that is doable or not or maybe I should just skip doing the elementary lit, but there are a few books that we wanted to read that we did not get to this year that they schedule in the elementary lit...decisions, decisions!

[redsquirrel]

Catholicmommy,

 

Kolbe should hire you. Seriously. That was a lot of work, but you just gave me a better picture of Kolbe than Kolbe ever did.

 

I get it now. Well, I think I do. If I didn't then I think the fault is mine.

 

I am going to reread everything you wrote when I have a quiet moment. Thank you so much.

 

Do you use a lot of Kolbe? I am not Catholic, but I have my eye on them for my high school plans.

[rdj2027]

Thank you catholicmommy, your post was immensely helpful. I was looking for a literature program for my upcoming 8th grader and think I have just found it :-)

 

Diane

[Flaura]

What a great review! Thanks:iagree:

[catholicmommy]

The elementary plans are also nice. They do not have the short story or poetry course, however.

 

They also do not include literary devices or the elements of fiction, and have very limited 'literary analysis'. However, I love the chapter summaries for the parents in the course plans, the weekly assignments (which are quite similar to the jr high course) and parts of the final exams.

 

The student book has the questions, vocabulary and glossary. The Teacher's book has all the 'answers'.

 

The course plans are what have the assignments, final exams and chapter summaries

[catholicmommy]

Catholicmommy,

 

Kolbe should hire you. Seriously. That was a lot of work, but you just gave me a better picture of Kolbe than Kolbe ever did.

 

I get it now. Well, I think I do. If I didn't then I think the fault is mine.

 

I am going to reread everything you wrote when I have a quiet moment. Thank you so much.

 

Do you use a lot of Kolbe? I am not Catholic, but I have my eye on them for my high school plans.

 

:001_smile: No problem. I just remember when I was looking into it and I really wanted to know what was inside.. their samples are sort of helpful, but don't give the full picture at all. One thing I would note is that the people in their office and book store are super helpful if you want to call them and ask a question. Their prices in the bookstore are quite reasonable, but many people get the books elsewhere used.

 

Because Kolbe is as accredited school that you can register with for K to gr 12, they don't do a lot of marketing of their materials to people who aren't registered with them. Not because they don't care... probably just because they are a small organization and don't have the man power to think about marketing effectively outside their sphere of influence.

 

Compare this to Memoria Press, who started out marketing individual curriculum to homeschoolers.. and then moved into full year plans. Kolbe is very good at breaking things into daily chunks and spreading them out through 4 quarters, but has many pieces to put together and the presentation isn't as nice. MP is more of a book you could sell in a store, with lovely introductions, nice binding, Table of Contents, index etc...

 

To someone who isn't used to Kolbe's style of course plans and books and ordering...etc.. they can seem a bit confusing, however.

 

This past year, I registered my 6th grade daughter in kolbe (mostly to get the elem. lit plans). While I did tweak a few things, I found that i loved having a lot of the preplanning done for me in the other courses. I love how they have the year split into four quarters (7 weeks on, 1 week review, 1 week exam).

 

We are going to do grade 7 next year with a few tweaks (history and supplementing writing). I also have my eye on the high school plans. They look fascinating (and intimidating at the same time). I haven't seen anything beyond the 7th grade plans.

 

One thing I like about Kolbe is their science is quite rigorous compared to some of the other schools you can get course plans from. We are going to use the Holt life science course next year (new middle school science option for kolbe next year). They are also working on writing up elementary plans for Singapore math as they are moving away from Saxon and MCP. (although it is still an option if people want to use it).

[redsquirrel]

ok, so I got out my TWTM, because I am funny that way. For me, the good news is that many of the books covered by the Kolbe jr high lit program are on the reading lists for 7th and 8th grade in TWTM. There is more crossover between the Kolbe program and the 7th grade list, but the 8th grade year is acceptable.

 

One thing I liked is that the selections covered by Kolbe that are not on TWTM reading list are books I know my son would enjoy reading. I also noticed that the 8th grade reading list in TWTM is shorter than the reading lists for 5th, 6th, and 7th. I am guessing that is because it is harder to find literature from the modern era that is YA appropriate. The subject matter can get head into adult lit quickly.

 

So that means for 7th grade I can work through an acceptable number of books I would assign anyway, and for 8th grade we can cover a good chunk of the TWTM reading list and a little bit more.

[catholicmommy]

ok, so I got out my TWTM, because I am funny that way. For me, the good news is that many of the books covered by the Kolbe jr high lit program are on the reading lists for 7th and 8th grade in TWTM. There is more crossover between the Kolbe program and the 7th grade list, but the 8th grade year is acceptable.

 

One thing I liked is that the selections covered by Kolbe that are not on TWTM reading list are books I know my son would enjoy reading. I also noticed that the 8th grade reading list in TWTM is shorter than the reading lists for 5th, 6th, and 7th. I am guessing that is because it is harder to find literature from the modern era that is YA appropriate. The subject matter can get head into adult lit quickly.

 

So that means for 7th grade I can work through an acceptable number of books I would assign anyway, and for 8th grade we can cover a good chunk of the TWTM reading list and a little bit more.

 

I havent' looked at my WTM for ages. It will be a good summer read for me :) It's nice to see there is quite a bit of overlap. I started out doing WTM very faithfully, but with teaching 5 kids and having two 'helpers' underfoot, I ended up doing mostly kolbe the last two years to keep my sanity.

 

The lit program looks really good for us for next year... but I also broke down and bought Teaching the Classics (just the DVDs and workbook to go with them). I wanted to have a bit more of the 'how to do literary analysis' skills so we could have spontaneous discussions without me feeling lost or inadequate.

 

I also checked Deconstructing Penguins out of the library and read very quickly through it last month. It was very helpful and inspiring. I highly recommend it!! It made me WANT to learn to do literary analysis, instead of dread it.

 

btw, sometimes the Kolbe material seems hard to understand, or as if it's lacking extra explanations that would be helpful. This is often because the course plans are just 'part' of the whole package of being enrolled: families who are enrolled have the advantage of calling the advisors whenever they need to ask questions and seek out the help they need. I love their content and the direction that they are going. I just wish they were as slick in presentation as the Memoria Press materials which are so easy to use.

[Mom-ninja.]

I am considering the Kolbe Academy lit program for 7th & 8th grades.

 

 

You know, every time you post about a curriculum I have to look.

[redsquirrel]

I havent' looked at my WTM for ages. It will be a good summer read for me :) It's nice to see there is quite a bit of overlap. I started out doing WTM very faithfully, but with teaching 5 kids and having two 'helpers' underfoot, I ended up doing mostly kolbe the last two years to keep my sanity.

 

yeah, I can see how that would be a challenge. :lol: Actually, my kids just don't do very well when I stray too far from TWTM. They thrive on the method. It doesn't leave me much choice.

 

The lit program looks really good for us for next year... but I also broke down and bought Teaching the Classics (just the DVDs and workbook to go with them). I wanted to have a bit more of the 'how to do literary analysis' skills so we could have spontaneous discussions without me feeling lost or inadequate.

 

I also checked Deconstructing Penguins out of the library and read very quickly through it last month. It was very helpful and inspiring. I highly recommend it!! It made me WANT to learn to do literary analysis, instead of dread it.

 

In theory, I should be able to do this without help. I were a lit major, back in the day. However, that was a long, long time ago...practically in a galaxy far, far away. And, it turns out that sitting in a college class deconstructing text is very different from teaching a 12 year old. It's like whole 'nother skill.

 

btw, sometimes the Kolbe material seems hard to understand, or as if it's lacking extra explanations that would be helpful. This is often because the course plans are just 'part' of the whole package of being enrolled: families who are enrolled have the advantage of calling the advisors whenever they need to ask questions and seek out the help they need. I love their content and the direction that they are going. I just wish they were as slick in presentation as the Memoria Press materials which are so easy to use.

I am interested in knowing the other benefits of enrolling. I don't see a need for it anytime before high school, so I've got time to look into it.

I wish they would make things a little easier to understand, because, especially with their science options, they are very attractive to lots of us non Catholic people. I can easily see myself using their lit, science and Latin during high school. That said, I see them mentioned a lot as an option, but don't think many people actually use it. Must be because Kolbe hasn't hired you yet. :001_smile:

 

You know, every time you post about a curriculum I have to look.

 

Good lord, woman, don't be daft. That way lies madness!

[catholicmommy]

I am interested in knowing the other benefits of enrolling. I don't see a need for it anytime before high school, so I've got time to look into it.

I wish they would make things a little easier to understand, because, especially with their science options, they are very attractive to lots of us non Catholic people. I can easily see myself using their lit, science and Latin during high school. That said, I see them mentioned a lot as an option, but don't think many people actually use it. Must be because Kolbe hasn't hired you yet. :001_smile:

 

In all that free time I have.. LOL. Some of these homeschooling companies don't know the untapped power of the WTM forums!!

 

Seriously though, the only reason I enrolled in the first place was because when I added up the cost of the course plans I wanted, it was a bit cheaper to enrol and get them for 'free'. I have phoned a few times to chat with an advisor, and that has been helpful... also if you are enrolled, you can pay a bit more to get the grading/evaluation service (Enhanced Evaluation) which might come in very handy as we move into high school writing. This allows you the option to send up to 12 samples per quarter for evaluation. They get back to you relatively quickly and from what i have heard, are very helpful at helping with papers and essays, writing directly to the student and asking for revisions etc... Your 12 samples can come from any subject and I believe that revisions asked for by the advisor don't count towards the 12 samples. Anyways, that's a whole other topic LOL.

 

You can enroll for only a half year, but still get the course plans you need for the whole year. That is a bit of a cheaper option, but you wouldn't get the record keeping (transcript or report card) for the whole year.

[Mom-ninja.]

redsquirrel, what is drawing you to kolbe as opposed to Lightning Lit?

[Mom-ninja.]

Good lord, woman, don't be daft. That way lies madness!

 

Well, you have me all excited to do Hogwarts School. :tongue_smilie:

[redsquirrel]

redsquirrel, what is drawing you to kolbe as opposed to Lightning Lit?

 

That is a really good question. It is cheaper up front, when you take into account I don't need to pay for the books. Kolbe is 120, but if I use it over the two years it comes out the same for materials.

 

I am considering it. In fact, I have the 'Stories and Poems for Intelligent Children' right here.

 

But, I think I am not interested. When I look at Lightening Lit 7, I see James Herriot, Mark Twain, Helen Keller, Lewis Carroll, and Bloom. That is not a lot. It doesn't even come close to matching up with our history cycle. I have always linked our lit with our history and it has worked out well. I like that the Kolbe program comes with more information than I am expected to use. I am hoping that gives me much more flexibility. I can allow my son to pick and choose, to some extent, and that is more likely to make him happy.

 

Finally, Kolbe is classical in approach. My kids thrive when we walk in that general direction.

 

Now, I might change my mind at the last minute or I could come crawling back in February crying about my horrible choice in lit programs. We shall see.

[Mom-ninja.]

I see, thanks. I'll have to figure out which I should use. My oldest is dyslexic so having fewer books might by better for him. Yet, I like the choices Kolbe has. As you said I could let ds choose.

 

We have done no lit analysis so far other than comprehension questions in WWE. The focus has been on teaching him *to* read. :)

[Greta]

I've been looking at Kolbe's lit program for my upcoming 7th grader as well. OP, thank you for starting this thread, and catholicmommy, thank you for that wonderful, comprehensive review! I love the book list that the program is based on, but I wasn't getting much of a feel at all for how the program is structured and what's included. That was a HUGE help!

 

Seriously though, the only reason I enrolled in the first place was because when I added up the cost of the course plans I wanted, it was a bit cheaper to enrol and get them for 'free'. I have phoned a few times to chat with an advisor, and that has been helpful...

 

:bigear: So, if I were interested in using three or more subjects from Kolbe, it's better to just go ahead and enroll, even if we don't use their other subjects? Hmm..... Thanks for pointing this out. I was only considering literature, but I might have to take a closer look at the other stuff. Do you (or does anyone else) have any experience with the other language arts components of their curriculum (English Grammar, and Vocabulary & Composition)?

[redsquirrel]

I see, thanks. I'll have to figure out which I should use. My oldest is dyslexic so having fewer books might by better for him. Yet, I like the choices Kolbe has. As you said I could let ds choose.

 

We have done no lit analysis so far other than comprehension questions in WWE. The focus has been on teaching him *to* read. :)

 

ahh, well, that is a very different situation. Just out of curiosity, how does he do with audio books? My friend's daughter is severely dyslexic (did finally master reading, went to college and rocked etc, etc) and she qualified for books for the blind. It was a low cost (maybe free?) service that delivered recorded books that had been read by volunteers. Now, it wasn't a high quality audio book, but it was truly an academic lifesaver.

 

Anyway, if you are considering using WWS1, it has a very nice introduction to literary analysis. You read and write about a couple short stories (Rikki, Tikki, Tavvi, and The Necklace) and some poems during the course of the year. It is very directed and explicit, just what my son needed.

[redsquirrel]

I've been looking at Kolbe's lit program for my upcoming 7th grader as well. OP, thank you for starting this thread, and catholicmommy, thank you for that wonderful, comprehensive review! I love the book list that the program is based on, but I wasn't getting much of a feel at all for how the program is structured and what's included. That was a HUGE help!

 

 

 

:bigear: So, if I were interested in using three or more subjects from Kolbe, it's better to just go ahead and enroll, even if we don't use their other subjects? Hmm..... Thanks for pointing this out. I was only considering literature, but I might have to take a closer look at the other stuff. Do you (or does anyone else) have any experience with the other language arts components of their curriculum (English Grammar, and Vocabulary & Composition)?

 

Their language arts program uses well established materials, that I see used in many public schools. That is about all I can determine. I wish I knew more about the Sadlier-Oxford writing program.

[Mom-ninja.]

ahh, well, that is a very different situation. Just out of curiosity, how does he do with audio books? My friend's daughter is severely dyslexic (did finally master reading, went to college and rocked etc, etc) and she qualified for books for the blind. It was a low cost (maybe free?) service that delivered recorded books that had been read by volunteers. Now, it wasn't a high quality audio book, but it was truly an academic lifesaver.

 

Anyway, if you are considering using WWS1, it has a very nice introduction to literary analysis. You read and write about a couple short stories (Rikki, Tikki, Tavvi, and The Necklace) and some poems during the course of the year. It is very directed and explicit, just what my son needed.

 

He loves audio books. That is how he does SOTW. Yes, there are several programs to choose from that would give him access (free or cheaper) to audio books. I was actually thinking that would be a great way to "read" some of the longer books for lit study.

 

Yes, I do plan to use WWS. Thanks for the review.

[Mom-ninja.]

 

I get a bit confused with Teach the Classics. I see there are teacher training DVDs and then teacher guides for individual books.

 

Where are the teacher guides? I didn't see those. I did see the new Reading Maps books that lists books and each book's elements to be discussed.

[catholicmommy]

 

Anyway, if you are considering using WWS1, it has a very nice introduction to literary analysis. You read and write about a couple short stories (Rikki, Tikki, Tavvi, and The Necklace) and some poems during the course of the year. It is very directed and explicit, just what my son needed.

 

We skipped through most of WWS1 very quickly, but did the whole section on lit analysis, and I agreee.. it was very helpful. DD used what she learned to apply to her Kolbe lit study and it really enhanced the Kolbe program for us. In some ways, Kolbe is assuming you are doing a writing program (they use either Classical Comp, or Sadlier writing workshop) so there isn't a lot of teaching on how to do the writing assignments.

[catholicmommy]

Their language arts program uses well established materials, that I see used in many public schools. That is about all I can determine. I wish I knew more about the Sadlier-Oxford writing program.

 

I haven't used the Sadlier-Oxford writing program either, as we have followed the more classical route (Writing Tales, CW Homer, and now Classcial composition)... but in some ways I wish I had also done a bit of the more 'normal' writing program to get in some practice in regular non-progym writing (i.e. letters, short reports, essays etc...). I know in the end we'll end up in the same or better place, but along the way sometimes I wish we had the same skill set as the kids in public school. (but that is a whole other topic).

[catholicmommy]

Where are the teacher guides? I didn't see those. I did see the new Reading Maps books that lists books and each book's elements to be discussed.

 

I think they first came out with the TTC DVD and seminar workbook, which is what most people mean when they are talking about TTC. This is the theory of how to do lit analysis. You can then apply it to any book you choose.

 

Then, they produced these Teacher Guides leading you through the process in specific books, holding your hand through the whole thing. They are pdf downloads (helpful to save on shipping!)

You can try the entire guide for 'The Bronze Bow' for free.

 

They also have a compilation of teacher guides grouped by age. These are called Ready Readers and are also available as a pdf download.

 

Then, if you really want to have everything done for you, you can just buy a DVD of Adam Andrews teaching a lit course on a particular book. This includes a syllabus. These are called the Classics Club.

 

There are a few other resources they sell that I haven't looked into, except

which is a table that briefly lists plot, conflicts, themes and literary devices for over 200 books (K-12). I'm sure you can just find a lot of this out by either a) reading the books yourself and thinking about them, or b) using the internet or sparknotes/coles notes... but it does look handy to have anyways. It also is available as a download.

[catholicmommy]

:bigear: So, if I were interested in using three or more subjects from Kolbe, it's better to just go ahead and enroll, even if we don't use their other subjects? Hmm..... Thanks for pointing this out. I was only considering literature, but I might have to take a closer look at the other stuff. Do you (or does anyone else) have any experience with the other language arts components of their curriculum (English Grammar, and Vocabulary & Composition)?

 

You can look at samples of any of their course plans here. They include a summary of the objectives for the course, and then a daily breakdown (into quarters) of the work to be done each day with a space for checking off work done, and recording grades. For most courses, there are also 4 quarter tests and answer keys.

 

The language arts programs are using books that are fairy open and go, so you probably wouldn't need a course plan.. though I enjoy having everything planned out across the year into 4 quarters. Kolbe plans 7 weeks of work, 1 week of review and 1 week for exams (mostly a week off, if you do the exams at the beginning of the week). They follow the Ignatian style of education which I don't know LOTS about (8filltheheart has talked about it a bit on here somewhere)... it is very classical... and one of their main tenants is that you need periods of review to really solidify the knowledge. This is something as homeschoolers we often ignore, I think. The quarter system keeps the year in manageable chunks for me. In feb, I don't feel crazy that we are only on week 25... I think, yay! We are on week 7 of quarter 3!! Horray! almost done another quarter. :-)

 

anyways, the LA programs are:

 

grammar: the Old Voyages in English edition (very similar to R&S I believe, but don't quote me on that )

 

vocab: Sadlier/oxford vocabulary workshop. We used this last year and it was a good book. I don't have anything to compare it to because we haven't used anything else. there's samples of it here.

 

writing: Classical Composition or Sadlier/oxford. Classical comp has been discussed on these boards before.. try searching it. It's also been discussed quite a bit on the Koble forum.

 

The sciences often draw people to Kolbe as well, because they use the often more rigorous school textbooks like Holt (Life science and Earth Science are the two middle school books). I just received the plans for the life science course and I like how they have picked through the book, choosing which chapters to skim through and which to go into more depth so that it fits into the quarter system they follow. I could do it myself, but I love having the option of following their plan so I don't have to ... but still tweaking when I like.

 

Some people are drawn to plans like this, because they like the 'idea' of it, but then they end up tweaking it so much that they might as well have not bothered to pay for it in the first place, because they ended up doing most of the work of planing anyways LOL.

 

hth :)

[redsquirrel]

Catholicmommy, do you know if there is any intention at Kolbe to move their high school writing program over to Classical Composition?

 

I know they are using CC for the younger years, but the high school level is Sadlier-Oxford.

[catholicmommy]

Catholicmommy, do you know if there is any intention at Kolbe to move their high school writing program over to Classical Composition?

 

I know they are using CC for the younger years, but the high school level is Sadlier-Oxford.

 

From a newsletter they sent out last year (aug 2011... the newsletters are linked from this page) this is what they said: (although I think their timeline for implementation has been delayed a bit, since Memoria Press took over the publishing for CC this year... meaning right now I know they have course plans available for Fable, narrative and a beta one for chreia/maxim with the others following shortly).

 

Classical Composition: A New Writing Program!

Kolbe Academy is adding Classical Composition by Jim Selby to its offerings this fall. Classical Composition is built upon the ancient principle that writing instruction should be based on imitation of the masters. In this way students make the structure, figures of speech, rhetorical devices, and style of the best writers a part of their writing year by year.

 

Kolbe Course Plans corresponding to the program will be released for grades 4 through 8. In 4th grade students focus on Fables, in 5th on Narrative, in 6th on Chreia & Maxim (praise of the good/morals), in 7th on Refutation & Confirmation (argument), and in 8th on Encomium, Invective & Comparison (argument refined). Whether student s are entering 4th or 8th, or any grade in between, they will start with the Fable Stage (4th grade). Older students may move through the material at their own pace.

 

Kolbe intends to extend the Classical Composition courses through to 12th grade in the fall of 2012. This will make a classical approach to writing instruction available to our families. We will still carry the Sadlier Writing Workshop series for those families that prefer it. The Classical Composition books do NOT include vocabulary, so you may still want to consider the use of the Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop.

 

The Classical Composition books are on our bookstore . The course plans for the 4th grade (first year) and 5th grade (second year), are also completed and printed. However, it is highly recommended that your child completes the program in order, even if at a faster pace, should they be older than 4th grade. You can view a sample of the lesson plans online .

[kristinannie]

Thank you for this review. It was extremely helpful!

[Mom-ninja.]

I think they first came out with the TTC DVD and seminar workbook, which is what most people mean when they are talking about TTC. This is the theory of how to do lit analysis. You can then apply it to any book you choose.

 

Then, they produced these Teacher Guides leading you through the process in specific books, holding your hand through the whole thing. They are pdf downloads (helpful to save on shipping!)

You can try the entire guide for 'The Bronze Bow' for free.

 

They also have a compilation of teacher guides grouped by age. These are called Ready Readers and are also available as a pdf download.

 

Then, if you really want to have everything done for you, you can just buy a DVD of Adam Andrews teaching a lit course on a particular book. This includes a syllabus. These are called the Classics Club.

 

There are a few other resources they sell that I haven't looked into, except

which is a table that briefly lists plot, conflicts, themes and literary devices for over 200 books (K-12). I'm sure you can just find a lot of this out by either a) reading the books yourself and thinking about them, or b) using the internet or sparknotes/coles notes... but it does look handy to have anyways. It also is available as a download.

 

Thanks. With all these choices I'm having a hard time figuring out what to get.

[redsquirrel]

If they are offering CC for high school composition, then it is looking more and more like a done deal for me in high school.

[catholicmommy]

Here are a few reviews for kolbe academy that I found helpful when i was looking into it originally. There is quite a bit about the high school program.

[catholicmommy]

If they are offering CC for high school composition, then it is looking more and more like a done deal for me in high school.

 

Also, another Kolbe mom and myself moderate a yahoo group called "Kolbe parents learn the classics". We aren't too active, but the idea is that hs parents can read the high school books ahead of the kids (or alongside) so that we are better prepared to teach them when we get there.

 

Anyone is welcome to join us :)

[Greta]

I'm sorry that I "disappeared" for awhile and that this reply is so very late, but I wanted to say that I sincerely appreciate your help!

 

You can look at samples of any of their course plans here. They include a summary of the objectives for the course, and then a daily breakdown (into quarters) of the work to be done each day with a space for checking off work done, and recording grades. For most courses, there are also 4 quarter tests and answer keys.

 

The language arts programs are using books that are fairy open and go, so you probably wouldn't need a course plan.. though I enjoy having everything planned out across the year into 4 quarters. Kolbe plans 7 weeks of work, 1 week of review and 1 week for exams (mostly a week off, if you do the exams at the beginning of the week). They follow the Ignatian style of education which I don't know LOTS about (8filltheheart has talked about it a bit on here somewhere)... it is very classical... and one of their main tenants is that you need periods of review to really solidify the knowledge. This is something as homeschoolers we often ignore, I think. The quarter system keeps the year in manageable chunks for me. In feb, I don't feel crazy that we are only on week 25... I think, yay! We are on week 7 of quarter 3!! Horray! almost done another quarter. :-)

 

anyways, the LA programs are:

 

grammar: the Old Voyages in English edition (very similar to R&S I believe, but don't quote me on that )

 

vocab: Sadlier/oxford vocabulary workshop. We used this last year and it was a good book. I don't have anything to compare it to because we haven't used anything else. there's samples of it here.

 

writing: Classical Composition or Sadlier/oxford. Classical comp has been discussed on these boards before.. try searching it. It's also been discussed quite a bit on the Koble forum.

 

The sciences often draw people to Kolbe as well, because they use the often more rigorous school textbooks like Holt (Life science and Earth Science are the two middle school books). I just received the plans for the life science course and I like how they have picked through the book, choosing which chapters to skim through and which to go into more depth so that it fits into the quarter system they follow. I could do it myself, but I love having the option of following their plan so I don't have to ... but still tweaking when I like.

 

Some people are drawn to plans like this, because they like the 'idea' of it, but then they end up tweaking it so much that they might as well have not bothered to pay for it in the first place, because they ended up doing most of the work of planing anyways LOL.

 

hth :)