Literature study guides

[Martha in GA]

Has anyone used thegreatbooks.com literature study guides? How do they compare with Progeny Press guides? Do they have discussion questions and essay questions? Is there anywhere to look at samples?

 

Thanks,

Martha

[Jane Elliot]

Has anyone used thegreatbooks.com literature study guides? How do they compare with Progeny Press guides? Do they have discussion questions and essay questions? Is there anywhere to look at samples?

 

Thanks,

Martha

 

You can view a sample on their website here: http://www.thegreatbooks.com/freeguide.html

 

We've also used Progeny Press guides, and they are good, but we prefer thegreatbooks.com guides. PP guides deal more with literary elements, vocabulary, and such. Thegreatbooks.com guides deal more with worldview and ideas. Thegreatbooks guides go much much deeper in my opinion and the kids have to really think to answer the discussion questions. We've had amazing discussions which we never would have had with PP guides.

 

There are not actually essay questions in the guides, but the free tests on the website have good questions you can use for essay questions. Sometimes, I just have the kids answer one of the discussion questions in essay form. Sometimes I ask them to explain the theme of the work in an essay.

 

PP and thegreatbooks.com are different and meet different needs. It really just depends on what you are looking for. I recommend you look at samples of both to decide.

 

There was a recent discussion about thegreatbooks.com here: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44056

[Martha in GA]

That was very helpful!

 

Martha