Literature. Do you use guides, or do you just read?

[amselby81]

When you do literature with your kids, do you just let them read the literature selections, or do you have guides with questions and activities to do with the books? I was looking at Memoria Press and Veritas Press, and I notice that they use guides with their literature selections. I've looked at sample pages from the guides, and the activities look good! I don't think I'd be able to come up with stuff like that on my own. And I'm thinking it could help with reading comprehension. But the guides really start to add up. But I'm just curious what most people here do. Do you just read, or do you do activities? If you do activities, do you make them up, or do you use guides?

[Harriet Vane]

For the ages of your kids, no, you do not need guides. Just read and saturate in good literature. For some books (NOT every) ask your child to narrate to you what the most important events of the book are. You can also feel free to ask slightly deeper questions that lead a child to make more than surface connections, like, "Why did so-and-so do such-and such?" However, don't do the questions for every book.

 

For younger kids, just go ahead and teach them the pure joy of well-written literature. If you want to do associated activities, do so as much as they add to the enjoyment of the process, and absolutely not for every single book you read. For example, it's fun to make pancakes when you read Farmer Boy or pioneer art projects or whatever.

 

You can start with more focused question-answer in the middle years, roughly 5th or 6th grade. Build up to it gradually though.

 

SWB's recommendations in TWTM are excellent, as are Charlotte Mason's thoughts on literature study for younger people.

[Five More Minutes]

This is an area I am weirdly passionate about, so forgive me if my rhetoric goes over the top here. It's the last day of February, and I'm trying to cope. :001_smile:

 

For young kids, I think that reading literature is the main deal. I don't do guides or activities. Just read, narrate (some), and find an interesting sentence.

 

*Edited out my soapbox rant in favour of chilling and grabbing some chocolate.*

[claluck]

My problem with them is I am way too busy to keep up on all those activities. WE just read and talk about what we read. Sure alot of kids have crafty things... But I do not have enough time in the day to always prepare and then I feel bad when I am not prepared and I put it off and nothing ever gets done. Since we switched to just read and talk we have gotten a ton more accomplished and they still get alot out of it. That said I have 6 kids maybe if I only had to prep school for one it might be different but I really like my approach. SO much less nerve wracking on my part.

 

Christina

[JudoMom]

Another vote for just reading and talking about what is read. SWB's Lit Analysis mp3 is great.

[TarynB]

Agreeing with the others who say just read for the love of reading when young, add lit analysis later in middle school. It's hard for youngers to make those connections when they have no basis for them through life experience yet.

 

. . . no formal lit analysis in the younger grades then only moving on to the Spice Girl approach in later grades (tell me what Frodo wants, what he really, really wants) . . .

 

Also, LOLing at the "Spice Girl approach". Never heard that before, but I love it!!!

[Murrayshire]

For second and third grade, my middle dd read and we just discussed or she narrated back to me the events, characters, plot, etc of the story. This year for fourth, b/c we are really working hard on writing, neatness, & organization, I have her keep a Reading Journal to write a summary of what she has read. This includes pictures, on her request, and sometimes I'll add evan moor sheets in there to highlight Characters, Plot, Setting, and all that lit. stuff! Right now she is reading Mr. Revere & I using Queen's Study guide. I found this at our homeschool store for a few dollars...... Every chapter includes mapwork, research, and/or comprehension questions.....but it is limited to 2-4 activities per chapter. She glued a printout of Massachusetts map in her reading journal and it is looking pretty cool and she's learning a lot. So far she has just done two lit guides...........they take awhile to do. She is reading Mr. Revere and I as we study the American Revolution and it is adding a ton to this time period for her!

 

I'd say it just depends on how your child learns.......my middle dd is more hands-on and retains better that way. My Oldest dd retains better by just reading and discussing (she started Lightning Lit this year for 7th).....even though she loves activities as well.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Read, read, read...provide them with lots of good, fluff-free yet enjoyable reading material so that they will LOVE to read. When they were really young (k-2/3) we did a good amount of read alouds combined with independent reading on their level. Now they do most of their reading independently. Many moons ago I compiled a list of good books by reading level (using VP, SL, WP, and a few other catalogs). They have the list in their literature box. They reserve those books, read them, and highlight them when they are done. For fourth grade and up, I will choose guides to go along with a few books each year. I really think that elementary is about exposure and gaining a love of learning.

[briansmama]

I don't use literature guides for my 3rd grader (or my K'er). I'm not a fan of comprehension questions. I ask my dc to narrate what they learned from the story or chapter, and my K'er draws a picture from the story (or paints it, models it out of clay, or sets a scene and re-enacts it).

 

This year for 3rd I bought BF literature guide for Early American History and the only thing we use in it is the Booklist.

 

Map work is a great tool to go with history readings, IMO. I bought the Early American map set from Map Trek and have been happy with it. I also bought the Dover coloring books (very detailed) for my third grader to work on to sink into the stories more (they have them on lots of topics, including colonial America, the Revolution, Farming, etc.

 

This is just what works best for us- if I want to add a more hands-on, in depth craft or activity for the term I can easily go to Pinterest and find one.

[MyLittleWonders]

We just read, casually discuss/make connections, sometimes orally narrate, sometimes do written narrations, and sometimes use Teaching the Classics (especially at the end of the book so they can see how the individual chapters all worked together). We are still doing this at 6th grade and I don't necessarily see us stopping even when we hit high school.

[anmom]

I have a slightly different opinion on this. My 7 year old reads a lot every day. When he was first learning to read we did not use them. However, as his reading accelerated I wanted to be sure his comprehension level was good as well. He still reads a lot each day, but we do use the MP lit guides as part of our school day. It doesn't take him long to do and his comprehension has increased dramatically. He could always answer "what happened in the story". The guides expand much more that that.

[Dolphin]

The SWB lecture is so worth the $3.99. Then print this out to take notes on while you listen. I felt so prepared and calm about Lit after hearing this at a conference.

[Ellie]

For children younger than, oh, 13, we just read. :-)

[Thia]

Remember, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. My oldest will be on a third grade level next year and we are going to use a few guides. I'll pick a few books that will be used with guides, but the bulk of her reading will not be.

[TarynB]

I like and follow SWB's advice on this topic. Here's a blog post she wrote:

 

What is Literary Analysis? (and When to Teach It)

[Walking-Iris]

I guess it depends on what you want out of a guide. I just like to read to my kids, but there are a few books/programs that I have used and plan on using that could (sort of) be considered lit guides. Peak With Books and Caldecott Across the Curriculum for younger ages. Arrow guides from Bravewriter have a bit of lit guide flavor. We've learned a lot about literary elements using them. I have a Scholastic book, Teaching With Favorite Newbery Books that I'm excited to jump into with my oldest. It has discussion questions, writing prompts, projects, author and history background.

 

I don't want or need questions and projects for everything we read together, but it is nice to go deeper into a book at times. A book like Deconstructing Penguins is a good reference to get ideas about how to booktalk (lit analysis). I wouldn't think you would need or want to buy a guide for every book you read.

 

You could even search online for the book you're reading and maybe find some free resources or ideas to do something extra with your read aloud if you like.

[mytwomonkeys]

we just read and discuss here.

[UrbanSue]

This is an area I am weirdly passionate about, so forgive me if my rhetoric goes over the top here. It's the last day of February, and I'm trying to cope. :001_smile:

 

For young kids, I think that reading literature is the main deal. I don't do guides or activities. Just read, narrate (some), and find an interesting sentence.

 

*Edited out my soapbox rant in favour of chilling and grabbing some chocolate.*

 

 

I agree. Right down to the chocolate.

[MelAR05]

Well, I have to say that before this year I would have not seen the use of literature guides. But this year I am using MP's lit guides for 2nd and 4th grade. My children have loved them! When I say it is time for literature they practically run to start. I'm not kidding! Here it is not an independent subject. We take turn reading the pages and after asking them the questions, I write down most, but not all, of the answers. I, personally, love their discussion questions. They have made for some wonderful and rich conversation.

 

My biggest concern before was that I didn't want to so pick a book apart that the enjoyment and wonder for the book was lost. But I have to say, that this year the guides have actually enhanced the enjoyment. The first book my dd9 studied was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. She now says it is her favorite book.

 

I don't know if I will always use literature guides but Memoria Press has been a success this year and I will be using them next year.

[Hunter]

I haven't read the whole thread and am short on time. Sorry, but quickly, here goes.

 

World Book encyclopedia says literature is an art, not an English skill, and I believe them. So I approach literature study as I do any other art. As something that nourishes the soul. For literature STUDY, "less is more" in my opinion.

 

I tend to teach a lot of KJV Bible study and pretty much cover all the necessary literature study then.

 

And the rest of what needs to be taught gets covered with Movies as Literature and Nancy Loewen's story writing books.

 

I like clutterfree genre kit's free sample for a list and definitions of 10 genres. These definitions can be copied at the top of notebook paper, and the student can simply list titles as books are read.

[Chava_Raizel]

For me, with young children I think just reading the story, maybe talking a little bit about it - you know, asking what they think will happen next, or why a character did something - that's more than enough.

 

With mid - elementary level, I start adding in activities - things like narration, character diaries, discussing deeper ideas in the books we read, art projects and such that tie into the story (drawing maps, creating field guides, illustrating favorite scenes, etc.), maybe learning a bit about the author if it's relevant. We'll read a variety of types of literature over the year and discuss the differences and elements of each genre (historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, etc.).

 

I've never used a literature guide though, because I feel like asking too many specific questions or doing "forced" activities really kill the love of literature itself. There is no faster way to kill the love of reading by being forced to answer questions that your child might feel are irrelevant to what they got out of the story.

[Sahamamama]

For most of our Literature & Poetry selections, we simply read aloud. We may discuss a few things, or review where we are in the story, but we mostly just read. But that's our Literature & Poetry Read Aloud, and I see that as something different from a more formal approach to literature. For the formal approach (Analytic Reading), we do use guides.

 

In 1st Grade, we used (and will use again) MP's Story Time Treasures & More Story Time Treasures course. Well-worth doing, IMO. Gentle, not too much writing, some good content in the guides, and great selections of picture books.

 

This year, for 2nd Grade, I have been disappointed with MP's 2nd Grade Literature Guides. They feel like busywork to me, but we keep doing them because my daughter likes them. :confused1: I do see the value in writing down a complete answer, focusing on specific vocabulary, and making sure there is understanding of what has been read. My main complaint about this level of MP Lit Guides is that there is little to no instruction about literature -- nothing along the lines of "This is a plot" or "This is what we mean by setting" or "These people are called the main characters." Just nothing. Nothing about genre ("This is what fiction means"), nothing about authors, illustrators, publishers, how to read fiction, how to read nonfiction, author backgrounds, or anything really related to the books being "studied." It's all "Define these words" (with no help given to the student from the materials provided) and "Answer these questions" (again, no guidance, no teaching, no prompts for dialogue or deeper thinking). So, I think it's shallow busywork. Like I said, though, when I asked my daughter (8) if she wanted to stop, she said, "No, I like these."

 

I have the 3rd Grade Literature Guides from MP, and they are better. They have more substance, content, instruction, and resource material in the appendix. But 2nd Grade is weak, IMO.

 

If I had it to do over again -- hey, I do! -- I would use STT/MSTT in 1st, some Progeny Press Guides (or nothing or traditional "book reports" or simple read-and-discuss) for 2nd, and then start MP Guides in 3rd & up. We did not use the VP guides, I've only seen those online.

 

As for Poetry, this year in 2nd Grade we enjoyed Evan-Moor Poetry Guides. I selected some poems from the 2nd/3rd book and some from the 3rd/4th book, printed them out (e-book), and ProClicked these into a Poetry Packet. This was worth taking 6 weeks to do, and we plan to do this again for 3rd Grade.

 

Added: For 2nd Grade, we are not doing all the MP Guides -- just Sarah Noble, Beatrix Potter, and Popper's Penguins -- and (with the Poetry Packet) that's enough! We'll do MP Lit Guides for Little House in the Big Woods (2nd), Farmer Boy (3rd), and Charlotte's Web (3rd) next year for 3rd Grade, along with more Evan-Moor Poetry. I also have three books chosen for Read & Discuss (Homer Price, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Cricket in Times Square) and three books chosen for a Traditional Book Report (Little House on the Prairie, Sarah Plain and Tall, Pippi Longstocking). I think she needs to follow a prescribed format in reporting about a book, and she needs to learn to discuss her reading with other readers. HTH.

 

So, this for 3rd:

 

Analytic Reading

ŸEvan-Moor 3^rd & 4^th Grade Poetry

Ÿ

Memoria Press Literature Guides

**Little House in the Big Woods

**Farmer Boy

**Charlotte’s Web

 

Book Reports

**Little House on the Prairie

**Sarah, Plain and Tall

**Pippi Longstocking

 

Book Discussion

**Homer Price

**The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

**The Cricket in Times Square

[amselby81]

Thank you so much for the input! I will need to listen to the SWB lecture. It makes sense to just enjoy the books at this age, and to develop a love for reading. I'm not sure if I will wait until my kids are in middle school though. We'll see. I won't really know until I get there. But I will feel better about not getting literature guides for the next couple years. :)

[Aspasia]

I might disagree with the idea that lit guides kill a love for reading. I certainly think they could do that for some kids, so it's probably important to keep an eye on your child. But I was a crazy little bookworm and I loved activities that went with my books. I don't know that I enjoyed all the questions, necessarily, but I really liked the extra activities, and I probably did get more out of the books as a result of them. Just sayin'. :)

[Walking-Iris]

I might disagree with the idea that lit guides kill a love for reading. I certainly think they could do that for some kids, so it's probably important to keep an eye on your child. But I was a crazy little bookworm and I loved activities that went with my books. I don't know that I enjoyed all the questions, necessarily, but I really liked the extra activities, and I probably did get more out of the books as a result of them. Just sayin'. :)

 

 

I agree. I think it could get tedious is everything was a school project. Sometimes it's nice to just read. I think the risk of killing a love for reading by using guides would happen if a parent was too stressed about them. If it felt forced or like something that *needed* to get done regardless of the kid enjoying it or not...yeah that would suck. If the guide suggests making a crafts project based on some scene and you know your kid will hate it, there's no point. If writing will get overwhelming, maybe best to just talk about the book and reduce the writing. If any questions begin to resemble tests with right or wrong answers and a kid starts to feel stressed about getting it right, then drop the questioning and make the conversation about the book more real and natural.

 

I don't think using a guide or any other lit resource kills the love and enjoyment. It would definitely hinge on the presentation or attitude of the teacher. Less is more, but if a kid likes the "more" go ahead and do it, but don't drown out the book with "more" and schoolish requirements or activities just to "do a guide."

[Hunter]

I haven't read the whole thread and am short on time. Sorry, but quickly, here goes.

 

World Book encyclopedia says literature is an art, not an English skill, and I believe them. So I approach literature study as I do any other art. As something that nourishes the soul. For literature STUDY, "less is more" in my opinion.

 

I tend to teach a lot of KJV Bible study and pretty much cover all the necessary literature study then.

 

And the rest of what needs to be taught gets covered with Movies as Literature and Nancy Loewen's story writing books.

 

I like clutterfree genre kit's free sample for a list and definitions of 10 genres. These definitions can be copied at the top of notebook paper, and the student can simply list titles as books are read.

 

I wanted to add that I use book reports as WRITING practice and only assign them when I feel the need to use an easy generic repeatable writing prompt, that students are able to work on their GENERAL writing skills with, without having to focus on new expectations and skills. I like the book report lessons in Climbing to Good English that focus on evaluation instead of summary, and gradually get more complex year after year.