Reading/Literature analysis? What to do for 2nd grade??

[mommyto4QT]

I will be homeschooling for the first time this fall. I have a very bright 2nd grader who can read easily at a 7-8th grade level. He also reads very quickly while remembering almost all of what he reads. He also teaches himself new vocabulary words from what he reads - he knows the definitions to lots of "big" words (due to context clues) but doesn't know how to properly pronounce the words!

 

I wanted to start a reading or literature analysis with him, however I don't know where to begin. Does anyone have a workbook, website, printable, etc that we could use for books? I tried to search Pinterest and this forum but didn't find anything.

 

I want to do books at a 2-3rd grade level (like Charlotte's Web) but be able to discuss and write more in depth about them. Writing is probably my child's weakest spot.

[Colleen in NS]

I will be homeschooling for the first time this fall. I have a very bright 2nd grader who can read easily at a 7-8th grade level. He also reads very quickly while remembering almost all of what he reads. He also teaches himself new vocabulary words from what he reads - he knows the definitions to lots of "big" words (due to context clues) but doesn't know how to properly pronounce the words!

 

I wanted to start a reading or literature analysis with him, however I don't know where to begin. Does anyone have a workbook, website, printable, etc that we could use for books? I tried to search Pinterest and this forum but didn't find anything.

 

I want to do books at a 2-3rd grade level (like Charlotte's Web) but be able to discuss and write more in depth about them. Writing is probably my child's weakest spot.

 

I suggest the Writing With Ease Instructor Guide:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store/the-complete-writer-writing-with-ease-instructor-text.html

 

It tells you how to teach writing skills and very basic literature analysis (picking out important facts via narration) in the early grades, contains four years' worth of instruction for the teacher, and lets you choose the books you want to practice writing and analysis skills on. It tells you how to find passages suitable to the skills being practiced in any given set of weeks.

 

I also want to suggest that because writing is his weakest spot (apparently very common for elementary-aged boys - mine was one of them!), use wisdom about the "writing in-depth" about books. WWE may seem like it's not enough writing at first, but it will train the mind to really think about what the student is reading. The techniques in WWE will eventually be merged, so that the student can read a couple of chapters, summarize the important points in them, and write them down on his own. For many kids, this takes awhile to learn, which is why WWE was developed. It's an excellent foundation for more mature analysis and writing.

 

I loved using it with my kids!

Edited July 13, 2012 by Colleen in NS

[ShannonS]

We like these. My DD is very similar to how you descibed your DS. The MP guides really helped sharpen her comprehension skills last year, and she can do most of the work independently. We also use the WWE series.

[JessieC]

Moving Beyond the Page has LA/literature units that can be used separately from the rest of the curriculum. Charlotte's Web is one of them, in the age 7-9 level. I will be using them with my 2nd grader next year! They include discussion questions, writing activities, and other fun stuff.

 

http://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/curriculum/age7to9.aspx

[pgr]

:lurk5:

 

Wondering this myself. I *think* I read somewhere that lit analysis should come at a later age/maturity level, but can't hunt down the source. My imagination, perhaps? :)

 

Eager to hear what others have to say.

[~Kirsten~]

We like these. My DD is very similar to how you descibed your DS. The MP guides really helped sharpen her comprehension skills last year, and she can do most of the work independently. We also use the WWE series.

 

:iagree: Yep. We're giving these a try this year as well, and they seem to be exactly what you're describing.

[JulieE]

If writing is a weak point, what about doing oral narration, then move into written narration of chapters? I started using this with my oldest dd this past year: http://www.christianbook.com/heart-journaling-through-year-young-writers/michelle-van-loon/1886061319/pd/6061319, though in the spirit of disclosure, it is usually a struggle to have her do the assignments - she struggles with writing, esp creative writing.

[threedogfarm]

:lurk5:

 

Wondering this myself. I *think* I read somewhere that lit analysis should come at a later age/maturity level, but can't hunt down the source. My imagination, perhaps? :)

 

Eager to hear what others have to say.

 

SWB talks about it in her lecture on Literary Analysis. I would definitely recommend listening to it. She does recommend doing literary analysis at a later age. I really like her approach.

[ednkirstin]

We've enjoyed Teaching the Classics. It's a method rather than a curriculum, to help you teach literary analysis using any book you choose.

[serendipitous journey]

We're using William & Mary's Center for Gifted Education (CFGE) Beyond Words language arts unit this fall (it is a supplementary semester program). I'm planning to follow their recs for bringing it up to speed as a full language arts program, which means pulling in Michael Clay Thompson's grammar; Wordly Wise; and Jr. Great Books. I may also pull from another writing program, such as Zaner-Bloser's Strategies for Writers or Writing Skills, b/c I'm trying to specifically boost Button's writing skills.

 

This is an unusually writing- and analysis- intensive approach for this board, and is to meet my own particular goals for this particular child who is quite accelerated and is already an analytical thinker. I do not think that these programs will interfere with his joy in literature or his childhood experience of reading, but do hope they will enhance his fun in learning. I have the Beyond Words unit and a series from Jr. Great Books for K-1 (we're doing second grade, but I don't have the Jr. Great Books for 2nd yet) and will be happy to answer any questions about the materials, though I haven't taught from them yet and am just now reading them carefully in preparation for 2nd grade.

 

ETA: the CFGE units are esp. designed to present thinking challenges at an appropriate level for young children -- ie, to introduce complex vocabulary and ideas with content that is age- and developmentally- appropriate. The main book for Beyond Words is "Frindle", and supplementary materials incl. poems by Rossetti, Sandburg, and Yolen.

Edited July 13, 2012 by serendipitous journey

[pgr]

We're using William & Mary's Center for Gifted Education (CFGE) Beyond Words language arts unit this fall (it is a supplementary semester program). I'm planning to follow their recs for bringing it up to speed as a full language arts program, which means pulling in Michael Clay Thompson's grammar; Wordly Wise; and Jr. Great Books. I may also pull from another writing program, such as Zaner-Bloser's Strategies for Writers or Writing Skills, b/c I'm trying to specifically boost Button's writing skills.

 

This is an unusually writing- and analysis- intensive approach for this board, and is to meet my own particular goals for this particular child who is quite accelerated and is already an analytical thinker. I do not think that these programs will interfere with his joy in literature or his childhood experience of reading, but do hope they will enhance his fun in learning. I have the Beyond Words unit and a series from Jr. Great Books for K-1 (we're doing second grade, but I don't have the Jr. Great Books for 2nd yet) and will be happy to answer any questions about the materials, though I haven't taught from them yet and am just now reading them carefully in preparation for 2nd grade.

 

ETA: the CFGE units are esp. designed to present thinking challenges at an appropriate level for young children -- ie, to introduce complex vocabulary and ideas with content that is age- and developmentally- appropriate. The main book for Beyond Words is "Frindle", and supplementary materials incl. poems by Rossetti, Sandburg, and Yolen.

 

Beyond Words has my interest piqued... It seems the only way to order is through a rep? I was thinking of just getting the student book to get a feel for it; the TM is quite expensive, and I didn't see any sample pages?

 

Thank you for posting about this!

[serendipitous journey]

Beyond Words has my interest piqued... It seems the only way to order is through a rep? I was thinking of just getting the student book to get a feel for it; the TM is quite expensive, and I didn't see any sample pages?

 

Thank you for posting about this!

 

You don't need to get it through a rep, I just ordered it online via Kendall Hunt; if you have trouble, PM me and I'll send a URL (don't have it offhand, and it's bedtime for little ones here ...) here's a link to a thread I started on the accelerated board RE this unit.

 

I have the student and the teacher's guide, and it looks like it would be doable to use simply the student guide which is much less expensive. The teacher's guide includes a large amount of supplementary information, which I myself am loving but isn't everybody's cup of tea -- see the above thread. If you are interested in, say, CFGE's ideas about teaching the concept of "metaphor" and an appendix on metaphor with three different theories of what metaphor it, you'll probably like it. Also if you esp. want to teach writing skills and textual analysis to a young child, or to hone your own analysis skills and understanding. I've been so interested in the information the guide has about teaching these concepts, and teaching high-ability children, and the resource lists.

 

If you are more interested in drawing out the child's response to works of literature (and not training/practicing analytical skills as such), as FairProspects is also I think, the instructor's guide may not be a good investment. But you might esp. like the Junior Great Books materials (again, is possible to use the student books stand-alone; Jr. Great Books has teaching samples online so you could more easily see for yourself) in this case; Beyond Words does suggest supplementing with Jr. Great Books and with MCT grammar/vocab materials.

 

ETA: post #3 on this thread, also currently up on the accelerated board, is written by someone who used the Beyond Words unit and didn't find it had good value for the $. I was thinking of this response, and of FairProspects ideas, when I wrote above about considerations for purchasing the instructor's manual for the unit.

Edited July 15, 2012 by serendipitous journey

[Kathleen.]

Deconstructing Penguins is a great book for introducing literary analysis. Also, you can google mt hope academy blog (book detectives) by a forum member to get a good idea of Teaching the Classics.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Kathleen.

[arcara]

I highly recommend Deconstructing Penguins and Teaching the Classics. Once you learn the methods in these books you can apply them at your child's level for any book. It is all done through discussion and is a lot of fun this way. You will basically learn how to talk wih your child about a book beyond a simple retelling of it. Any kind of writing out of comprehension questions and defining vocabulary lists is the type of lit analysis I had to do when in school and it made me hate it, so i don't make my kids do it. A fun discussion with mom with lots of "ah-ha!, that's what that means!" or "that's why they did that!" moments is enjoyable for all. I would do Writing with Ease narrations and copy work for the writing portion.

[pgr]

You don't need to get it through a rep, I just ordered it online via Kendall Hunt; if you have trouble, PM me and I'll send a URL (don't have it offhand, and it's bedtime for little ones here ...) here's a link to a thread I started on the accelerated board RE this unit.

 

I have the student and the teacher's guide, and it looks like it would be doable to use simply the student guide which is much less expensive. The teacher's guide includes a large amount of supplementary information, which I myself am loving but isn't everybody's cup of tea -- see the above thread. If you are interested in, say, CFGE's ideas about teaching the concept of "metaphor" and an appendix on metaphor with three different theories of what metaphor it, you'll probably like it. Also if you esp. want to teach writing skills and textual analysis to a young child, or to hone your own analysis skills and understanding. I've been so interested in the information the guide has about teaching these concepts, and teaching high-ability children, and the resource lists.

 

If you are more interested in drawing out the child's response to works of literature (and not training/practicing analytical skills as such), as FairProspects is also I think, the instructor's guide may not be a good investment. But you might esp. like the Junior Great Books materials (again, is possible to use the student books stand-alone; Jr. Great Books has teaching samples online so you could more easily see for yourself) in this case; Beyond Words does suggest supplementing with Jr. Great Books and with MCT grammar/vocab materials.

 

ETA: post #3 on this thread, also currently up on the accelerated board, is written by someone who used the Beyond Words unit and didn't find it had good value for the $. I was thinking of this response, and of FairProspects ideas, when I wrote above about considerations for purchasing the instructor's manual for the unit.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this - I found your thread on the accelerated board as you were typing this!

 

 

Thank you also to the others for the reminder abut Decinstructing Penguins. :)

[tomandlorih]

We like these. My DD is very similar to how you descibed your DS. The MP guides really helped sharpen her comprehension skills last year, and she can do most of the work independently. We also use the WWE series.

 

:bigear: Thanks, I like the look of these.