How do you do literature w/o a guide 4th grade and up?

[Heidi]

I have Kolbe guides, but I am starting to think I don't need or want them. I can't stand comprehension questions.

 

I've been reading the Well-Educated Mind, as well as listening to Teaching the Classics dvds (I haven't finished either of them), but so far here are some of the ideas floating around in my head concerning literature analysis for my upcoming 4th grader.

 

I would begin by giving her a reading journal. After she reads a chapter in her book, she has to write 2-3 sentence summary of the chapter. She has the option of jotting down words she doesn't know, characters she wants to remember, quotes she likes, or whatever else she wants to include.

 

Maybe a few months down the road after doing summaries for a while, I would introduce literary terms (onomatopoeia, imagery, similie, personification, and so forth) and have her jot down at least one example from each chapter? Maybe that is asking too much?

 

Eventually I would like to introduce the story chart. I would probably need to do a few with her using children's books before she tackles the books on her reading level.

 

And then finally, a short, informal socratic discussion of the book when she is through reading it.

 

I'll probably have a better idea of how to approach literature at this level when I finish the book and the dvds, but I was just wondering if anyone else does something like this? Anyone require a reading journal?

 

ETA: This would only be with, at most, 3 books a year. The rest I would leave alone.

[Nicholas_mom]

No but this sounds fantastic! I'm all :bigear:

[5LittleMonkeys]

We've had success using Figuratively Speaking for late elementary and middle grades. You could use it as a spine or as reinforcement for the literary elements you find in the books you are already reading.

 

I've tried doing the "write a summary after every chapter" method with my dc and they always end up hating it. They much prefer just having disscussions about the chapters. We don't really get into writing about literature until 6th\7th\8th.

 

We do discuss setting, plot, mood, theme, characters, conflict, resolution...and often use graphic organizers (like the one in TtC) to record the story arc.

 

I've found that if I beat a book to death chapter by chapter my dc become reluctant to read.

[Crimson Wife]

I use Figuratively Speaking followed by Walch Poetry and Prose Toolbook. As we discuss the literary terms, I ask my DD to come up with examples from books she has read. She is a voracious reader so I typically do not assign books but just leave them around.

[HiddenJewel]

SWB's audio on literature is really good.

 

http://peacehillpress.com/what-is-literary-analysis-mp3.html

[Zoo Keeper]

SWB's audio on literature is really good.

 

http://peacehillpres...alysis-mp3.html

 

 

REALLY, really good. :)

[Heidi]

SWB's audio on literature is really good.

 

http://peacehillpres...alysis-mp3.html

 

Thanks! I'll listen to this tonight.

[Kfamily]

I have the two literary terms books mentioned above too. I haven't actually started my younger dd in those yet. However, I have created Book Notes for the literature she's studying (different from her free reading and independent reading lists) and I have begun to introduce some literary terms in those. In The Little White Horse, I've introduced metaphors, similes, imagery, personification, symbolism, foreshadowing and story elements such as characters, setting, antagonist and protagonist. As we read together, we discuss these terms and the examples of them from the book. She and I have discussions for all of the chapter sections and then she often has either a picture or written narration which follows our discussion.

 

We're about to begin our study with Anne of Green Gables, Evangeline and other poems selected from the Annotated Anne. The poems includes some study of such words as elegy, ode, ballad, etc. and a review of words we learned above (metaphor, similie, personificiation, imagery, etc.).

 

My plan is to continue to incorporate more literary terms and increase the length and style of our discussions as we add more literature. I can use the terms from the Figuratively Speaking and Prose and Poetry as a checklist to be sure I'm covering more terms each time.

 

My older dd has a literary terms notebook that she keeps (definition from the two mentioned books, examples from literature that are included in these two books and space for adding her own examples). I'll probably have my younger dd keep the same type of notebook here very soon.

[stm4him]

I teach my kids literature terms from Teaching the Classics. We do about 3 or 4 per week which I grouped together in a logical way. I paired these with the socratic questions in the guide and that is what they have to answer when they finish a book. So the week we studied terms on setting they answered questions about the setting in their narration. They always have to write their opinion of the book as well. And they draw a picture.

 

My plan for next year is to blow up the story chart and make a bunch of copies (I asked permission for this) and then have them fill one out to the best of their ability at the end of each literature book (about 10 per year). Then on the back they will use one side to illustrate it and the other side to write the narration. Then it can be folded and hole-punched and put in a binder. I just think the regular size chart is too small for them to write in.....

[Heidi]

I have the two literary terms books mentioned above too. I haven't actually started my younger dd in those yet. However, I have created Book Notes for the literature she's studying (different from her free reading and independent reading lists) and I have begun to introduce some literary terms in those. In The Little White Horse, I've introduced metaphors, similes, imagery, personification, symbolism, foreshadowing and story elements such as characters, setting, antagonist and protagonist. As we read together, we discuss these terms and the examples of them from the book. She and I have discussions for all of the chapter sections and then she often has either a picture or written narration which follows our discussion.

 

We're about to begin our study with Anne of Green Gables, Evangeline and other poems selected from the Annotated Anne. The poems includes some study of such words as elegy, ode, ballad, etc. and a review of words we learned above (metaphor, similie, personificiation, imagery, etc.).

 

My plan is to continue to incorporate more literary terms and increase the length and style of our discussions as we add more literature. I can use the terms from the Figuratively Speaking and Prose and Poetry as a checklist to be sure I'm covering more terms each time.

 

My older dd has a literary terms notebook that she keeps (definition from the two mentioned books, examples from literature that are included in these two books and space for adding her own examples). I'll probably have my younger dd keep the same type of notebook here very soon.

 

I was actually going to read The Little White Horse as our next read-aloud. It is packed with literary devices... good idea! That would be a perfect time to introduce some terms.

[Heidi]

I teach my kids literature terms from Teaching the Classics. We do about 3 or 4 per week which I grouped together in a logical way. I paired these with the socratic questions in the guide and that is what they have to answer when they finish a book. So the week we studied terms on setting they answered questions about the setting in their narration. They always have to write their opinion of the book as well. And they draw a picture.

 

My plan for next year is to blow up the story chart and make a bunch of copies (I asked permission for this) and then have them fill one out to the best of their ability at the end of each literature book (about 10 per year). Then on the back they will use one side to illustrate it and the other side to write the narration. Then it can be folded and hole-punched and put in a binder. I just think the regular size chart is too small for them to write in.....

Great ideas!

[Kfamily]

I created a guide for The Little White Horse. If you'd like to print it, it's on my blog (A Mind in the Light) under Book Notes. :)

[Kfamily]

Sorry

[houseofkids&pets]

Not to hi-jack this thread, but just wanted to say love the animal study on your blog, Kfamily. I will definitely be using this :thumbup: !