Literature discussion w/ Aspie teen

[beachnut]

My 15yo Aspie loves to read and is a really good writer (esp. fiction), but our literature discussions, as you might imagine, our sorely lacking. It's very hard to follow the WTM suggestions for reading literature chronologically and having Socratic discussions with an Aspie. DS is not much for deep conversation in general, let alone a literary analysis of a medieval piece of literature. Any ideas on how to get more out of reading/annotating/discussing any of the Great Books during any historial period? Our discussion in both 9th & 10th grade have been so underwhelming. (Ditto for our history discussions.)

 

Lisa

[Heartsjoy]

Just brainstorming here. My oldest is 13 and one who might be similar is only 11. So I'm not there yet, just studying and thinking for my crew.

 

I'm thinking I would work on cause and effect. I might start with something more concrete like a factual comparing chart of Plymouth vs Jamestown. This is how TOG does it at the D level. Then explore with, "I wonder why Plymouth had greater success and less starvation." I wonder statements and lots of time with me silent 3+ minutes. Or I wonder how Galileo might have thought differently if he had been born in blank time and been reading blank while looking at a timeline we've been building.

 

In general difficult skills need to be practiced with easier material. In literature analysis with junior high, we start with familiar picture books.

 

In looking through 4 years of TOG at D and R level, I saw a lot of venn work, comparison charts, timelines, plays with philosophers. I'm guessing that all of this concrete work each week prepares the way for the discussion time. I'm just beginning with the 13 year old. I ususally pick one or two connections I want to lead this student to discover. The following week one of these discoveries turns into a paragragh that has a thesis statement and 2-3 supporting points and why these points explain the thesis.

 

Hugs and hope for more feedback as I'm learning here too.

[beachnut]

Just brainstorming here. My oldest is 13 and one who might be similar is only 11. So I'm not there yet, just studying and thinking for my crew.

 

I'm thinking I would work on cause and effect. I might start with something more concrete like a factual comparing chart of Plymouth vs Jamestown. This is how TOG does it at the D level. Then explore with, "I wonder why Plymouth had greater success and less starvation." I wonder statements and lots of time with me silent 3+ minutes. Or I wonder how Galileo might have thought differently if he had been born in blank time and been reading blank while looking at a timeline we've been building.

 

In general difficult skills need to be practiced with easier material. In literature analysis with junior high, we start with familiar picture books.

 

In looking through 4 years of TOG at D and R level, I saw a lot of venn work, comparison charts, timelines, plays with philosophers. I'm guessing that all of this concrete work each week prepares the way for the discussion time. I'm just beginning with the 13 year old. I ususally pick one or two connections I want to lead this student to discover. The following week one of these discoveries turns into a paragragh that has a thesis statement and 2-3 supporting points and why these points explain the thesis.

 

Hugs and hope for more feedback as I'm learning here too.

 

Thanks, Heartsjoy, for giving me some great ideas to try. Hopefully they will be a jumping off point for some greater, more in-depth discussions. Really frustrated with the one-word word answers or "I don't know" as a response to my questions.