14yr old and LLFLOTR

[3browneyedboys4me]

Could someone tell me if my son would be capable of doing this at his age? He has read some heavy books: To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Hobbit, The Old Man and the Sea....

 

Any opinions on this, or would I be better off waiting for 9th grade? He just turned 14 this month.

 

Thanks in advance!

[3browneyedboys4me]

:bigear:

[RobinL in Canada]

(Trusting LoriD will chime in here at some point :) )

 

Whether or not your son could do the course would depend on a few factors. Perhgpas most important of all is whether or not he would *like* to do a course on LOTR. Some kids who love Tolkien are eager to plunge into a program which analyzes elements of the books; others adamantly oppose the idea of picking their beloved LOTR apart :) What is your sense of how your son would feel about such a study?

 

That said, the program itself is geared towards grade 7+, so unless your son is a late bloomer, he shouldn't have any problems with it academically. The side units (on such topics as etymology, Arthurian legend, Beowulf, etc) are very engaging and add to the ongoing analysis of LOTR. When I taught the course, I found that there was too much emphasis on "busywork" in the form of "fill in the blank" summaries of chapters and vocabulary, but you can pick and choose what parts of the program to use. To my surprise, I've heard that many people do not have their children do any of the actual writing assignments, but just orally discuss the material, but I suppose that could work for you if your son does not yet know how to write a formal essay, especially a literary analysis essay, as no specific writing instruction is given in the program. If you would like him to complete the writing assignments, then you should ensure he understands how to write an essay first.

[Lizzie in Ma]

(Trusting LoriD will chime in here at some point :) )

 

Whether or not your son could do the course would depend on a few factors. Perhgpas most important of all is whether or not he would *like* to do a course on LOTR. Some kids who love Tolkien are eager to plunge into a program which analyzes elements of the books; others adamantly oppose the idea of picking their beloved LOTR apart :) What is your sense of how your son would feel about such a study?

 

That said, the program itself is geared towards grade 7+, so unless your son is a late bloomer, he shouldn't have any problems with it academically. The side units (on such topics as etymology, Arthurian legend, Beowulf, etc) are very engaging and add to the ongoing analysis of LOTR. When I taught the course, I found that there was too much emphasis on "busywork" in the form of "fill in the blank" summaries of chapters and vocabulary, but you can pick and choose what parts of the program to use. To my surprise, I've heard that many people do not have their children do any of the actual writing assignments, but just orally discuss the material, but I suppose that could work for you if your son does not yet know how to write a formal essay, especially a literary analysis essay, as no specific writing instruction is given in the program. If you would like him to complete the writing assignments, then you should ensure he understands how to write an essay first.

 

:iagree::iagree:

I would read first to enjoy. I can't imagine having had to use this curriculum or any other the first time I read them. Then develop a passion for them by delving deeper.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Take a look at the llflotr tag, especially Lori D's posts. I would say it is doable with an 8th grader depending upon how much you want to modify/skip. The author does provide lesson plans for younger students.

 

Totally agree with Robin about the writing. It provided a lot of opportunity to write. That was good practice for my son in 9th grade.

 

Good luck!

[Murphy101]

It's become my standard 9th grade English here, which is approx 14 years old. I do about 2/3 of the suggested writing topics and we don't skip anything else.