classicmommy Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 My 2nd grader is an advanced reader. For the past two years I have Iet her choose what she wants to read. I have her read to me a IittIe and also read alone. I ask her some basic questions about what she read. But should I be doing a reading or Literature program or something more structured. I Iooked at R&S, CLE, VP, & MP. But I don't know what to Iook for in a reading or Iit program or what grade to put her in. She couId probabIy read up to the high schooI IeveI but I don't think she could do aII the comprehension or activities in the workbooks. I hope this makes sense. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 This makes a lot of sense! Your dd sounds like my eldest in her reading at that age. I have stayed away from structured literature studies with my dd. We've simply done what you have been doing: allowed her (and encouraged her) to read widely, and asked her about some of the books she has read. A few other things that we did because of her love of reading and words were: (a) started her with Shakespeare early on. We used Nesbit's Stories from Shakespeare and Manga versions to introduce the text; watched a movie production (or live if available); and read the text aloud while she had her teddies act out the various parts. (We now have a large stuffed whale in our household that has been permanently renamed Duncan because of this ...) My dd adores Shakespeare's language and word play. (b) used MCT Island level early on (in Gr. 2). The grammar, vocab, and poetry in this fed her soul and gave her some words to describe what she was observing in good books (like alliteration and simile). ( c) allowed her to read anything she wanted *but* ... encouraged her to keep reading good books (vs. re-reading Calvin & Hobbes when she hit that stage!) by developing a list of 10-12 titles that we pre-approved. She received a sticker for every title on this list that she completed, rated the book, and then was able to select a small reward (a book from a curated list!) when she finished the entire list of titles. Then we'd create another list, and start the process over. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicmommy Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 ( c) allowed her to read anything she wanted *but* ... encouraged her to keep reading good books (vs. re-reading Calvin & Hobbes when she hit that stage!) by developing a list of 10-12 titles that we pre-approved. She received a sticker for every title on this list that she completed, rated the book, and then was able to select a small reward (a book from a curated list!) when she finished the entire list of titles. Then we'd create another list, and start the process over. How did you have her rate a book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 My second grader reads what he wants for leisure reading. He chooses from preselected options for reading aloud with me. I read literature selections during lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 How did you have her rate a book? I made a sheet with each title/author and next to it a space for her to write the date completed, add a sticker, and then five stars to colour in. These completed sheets have become a great record of good books read. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Honestly, I think you're probably fine without a formal lit program (and I love the pp's suggestions for Shakespeare!). Reading quality books, including poetry and classics, is the best literature program you can have. Having said that, we do use MP lit guides and I like them. I know they get a bad rep here sometimes for being dry, and I can see why. But, we've had a lot of fun with them, too. For the 2nd grade level, there are occasional activities that bring in art or other creative skills. For example, my son made a Jack Frost picture with glue and salt on black paper. It looks really cool and we still have it on display. That was for Little House in the Big Woods. He doesn't like writing out the answers to the comprehension questions at all. It's probably his least favorite thing we do. And I could scribe for him, but I don't. We come up with good answers together, I write them on the board, and he copies them neatly in his workbook. I require him to do this because it is teaching him the valuable skill of answering questions using well-written, complete sentences. I consider it part of his education in writing, not just literature. But it is hard work, and sometimes feels like a battle. The books themselves are great, and I like the slow pace and immersing ourselves in one good read for a while. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamabear2three Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I'm in a similar situation - my daughter is going into second next year and reads up to probably 5th/6th grade level with comprehension. I love the idea of having a list of preapproved titles for her to choose from and have her rate when she's finished! This year I just gave assigned books of a variety of levels and allowed her to choose other books to read outside of that on her own time. It's worked ok, but I felt like it was really haphazard. My plan for next year is to get MCT Island level including the MUD trilogy. I think I will also use the idea of having a list of books for her to choose from and rate as she finishes reading. And a book as a reward for finishing the list is an awesome idea! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I'm in a similar situation - my daughter is going into second next year and reads up to probably 5th/6th grade level with comprehension. I love the idea of having a list of preapproved titles for her to choose from and have her rate when she's finished! This year I just gave assigned books of a variety of levels and allowed her to choose other books to read outside of that on her own time. It's worked ok, but I felt like it was really haphazard. My plan for next year is to get MCT Island level including the MUD trilogy. I think I will also use the idea of having a list of books for her to choose from and rate as she finishes reading. And a book as a reward for finishing the list is an awesome idea! We've had a lot of fun using this. I should clarify that for each sheet of 10-12 books, DH and I select about four novels and two non-fiction books that she must read to complete the sheet. The remaining 4-6 books are blanks for her to fill in based on her interests; she just needs to check with us that they "count for the sticker page." So she knows that if she re-reads Calvin & Hobbes or Asterix, it's fine, but it doesn't get added to the sticker page. On the other hand, when she wants to read for fun a well-written book, she can get it added to her sheet. It's been a nice blend of assigned and self-selected (good) books. And I just have to say ... MCT Island is delightful! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Lake Mom Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 We are using Confessions of a Homeschooler's literature units. There are lap book activities to go along with each chapter. I've read a lot lately on the benefits of reading slower. I would add a few of these to the year in addition to her free reading. They help with reading comprehension, vocabulary, story elements, ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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