Sonlight Literature/LA? Looking at Lit 230

[ktgrok]

I'm looking for something a bit more structured for next year that doesn't go too high in reading level or get too boring for my tech geek son. I just realized we could buy the Sonlight Literature packages without the History, and I am thinking that might be a good choice. We did Core H two years ago and he mostly liked it, but felt like there was never a break in the reading to just choose fun books on his own. So I'm thinking we could do Core 200 Lit and LA, and just drop a few of the books he was least interested in to give him a break now and then. Anyone used it?

[Lori D.]

In the past, this is the one SL core that has received the most negative or disappointed reviews -- more because of the History/Bible portion, although I have also heard a few comments of disappointment with the Lit., too, feeling like it was just a random scooping up books that didn't fit into other cores...

 

My understanding is that SL revamped all of the high school cores about 2-3 years ago, so they may be very different from when I looked at the high school cores about 6-8 years ago, BUT… at the time I looked over the samples, the instructor guides were very weak in the Literature area -- virtually no guidance for discussion or analysis, and no help with *how* to go about writing about the Literature.

 

JMO, but even if you're keeping the Lit. simple and lite for a tech-geek student, there is no reason why you can't have some solid discussion on the big ideas embedded in good Literature, esp. at the high school level… :)

 

 

Since you're already planning on dropping and tweaking, my thought would be: why bother with spending money on SL at all? Why not just pull about 8-10 books that look interesting from this SL core for going a bit more in-depth with discussion/analysis,  find a good guide to go with each (or use free online resources), have another small stack for just enjoyable solo reading, and just DIY and enjoy! :)

 

Another thought: our DSs really loved the year of classic sci-fi lit. we did in high school -- lots of great topics and relevant issues to discuss, and often tech-geeks really connect with sci-fi ...

 

 

Just glancing over the SL200 literature book list, there are quite a few books at the young middle school level, which would be fine if you want those for a "solo read" or "just for fun" reading stack. A lot of the classics in the reading list have older vocabulary and longer/complex sentence structures so a number of those might fall in the "too high in reading level or get too boring" category… Not knowing your DS, it's really hard to say whether or not these books would connect for him… 

 

Can you let us know a little bit more about:

- DS's reading interests

- some examples of books that are "too high in reading level or get too boring"

- books you'd like to be sure to cover before the end of high school

 

Warmest regards, Lori D.

[ktgrok]

All good questions. He's naturally a pretty good writer, but dislikes doing it. My main issue with his writing is correcting bad habits he picked up in public school. And I write, so I'm comfortable grading/correcting, my problem is coming up with assignments. So something that gives them is good. Then I can correct/teach/tweak them. 

 

As for literature he likes/dislikes...sigh. If I assign it, he doesn't like it. He could be reading a book, I tell him hey, we'll count that for schoolwork, and he will want to drop it. 

 

He's reading 1984 right now, and intrigued by it, but still going slow because, well, it's schoolwork and he doesn't like schoolwork. He's a get r done kid, not a "lets make it fun" kid. But he also does better if it's at least kind of out of the box or interesting. 

 

He didn't like Arthur C Clarke, but I let him live here anyway :)  Again though, I think maybe it was just that it was assigned as schoolwork. Things like The Odyssey are not up his alley. As a general rule he likes more modern books, although we did Treasure Island as a read aloud at one point and that went pretty well. Having the curriculum assign the book instead of me helps a bit. He liked most of the books from Sonlight Core H, but not all. For pleasure reading he likes dystopian fiction.

 

As it is, we don't do much at all with the literature, because just getting him to read the book exhausts me. I need to step it up next year, and having a list and some questions to ask to at least spark a discussion is what I'm looking for.

 

Oh, this is a link to the sample of the current Parent Guide. http://www.sonlight.com/attachments/230-PG/230-PG-3-week-sample.pdf

[Rebecca]

We are using this Core this year with my 9th grade son and plan to use the Literature portion with my next son who will be 9th grade next school year (2015/16).

 

The pace is very brisk. For this student, we have only dropped one book from the entire Core. I anticipate possibly having to drop a few others for my next son. 

 

I chose to use 4 Excellence in Literature Modules to go with this and supplement with Sonlight writing assignments. He is required to write a research paper- so that is the final focus of our year and we are beginning in the next week or so.

 

My son went deeper with Til We Have Faces, Jane Eyre, Robinson Crusoe, and a Poetry Analysis- Ode: Intimation of Immortality.

 

I think picking and choosing with the Sonlight Writing Assignments is best (in my opinion).

 

Happy to answer any other questions.... he has really enjoyed the books- although the pace has left him a little breathless at times.

 

-Rebecca

[Rebecca]

We like having the Sonlight guide. It takes the pressure off of me "driving" everything forward. The guide moves us forward and he dates and initials the day's readings as he completes them. 

 

He has also commented on appreciating the easier books interspersed with the more challenging books. They give his brain a welcome break.

[Mom22ns]

I used Core 100 and I have Core 300 & 400 (for sale). I really wouldn't recommend SL for literature. Like Lori, my experience with it is all from before the latest revamp, but I don't think they changed literature that much. The lit sections move very fast without much time to think or enjoy the books. There is a good mix of books, both easy and challenging but very little analysis of any of them. There is no significant writing instruction.

 

 

I suggest you take a look at Excellence in Lit. It would give you the guide, but moves at a much slower pace, but with more thorough coverage of each novel (all of which are high school level). The book selections are really good and it is easy to follow. There is no writing instruction here either, but it does give samples of each type of writing and a rubric for grading.

 

[Lori D.]

… He's reading 1984 right now, and intrigued by it… 

… He didn't like Arthur C Clarke...

… Things like The Odyssey are not up his alley...

… As a general rule he likes more modern books, although we did Treasure Island as a read aloud at one point and that went pretty well.

… Having the curriculum assign the book instead of me helps a bit. He liked most of the books from Sonlight Core H, but not all. For pleasure reading he likes dystopian fiction.

 

As it is, we don't do much at all with the literature, because just getting him to read the book exhausts me. I need to step it up next year, and having a list and some questions to ask to at least spark a discussion is what I'm looking for.

 

Oh, this is a link to the sample of the current Parent Guide. http://www.sonlight.com/attachments/230-PG/230-PG-3-week-sample.pdf

 

Hmmm... SL200 may not be the best fit if your student likes modern books -- most of the core is either OLD classics, historical fiction, or modern titles at a young middle-school level:

 

CLASSICS

1500s - Romeo and Juliet 

1600s - Twelfth Night 

1600s - Pilgrim's Progress in Today's English

1700s - Robinson Crusoe 

1800s - Jane Eyre 

1800s - The Annotated Pride and Prejudice

1800s - A Christmas Carol

1800s - Oliver Twist 

1800s - Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

1800s - Treasure Island

1800s - The Wise Woman and Other Stories

1800s/1900s - A Child's Anthology of Poetry

1900s - The Best of Father Brown

1900s - The Screwtape Letters 

1900s - Till We Have Faces (set in ancient Mesopotamia)

 

Modern Fiction

Going Solo 

What Hearts

 

Historical Fiction

Pontius Pilate

The Shining Company

Outlaws of Sherwood

The Hawk and the Dove Trilogy

The Ramsay Scallop 

 

Early Middle School Fiction

Enchantress from the Stars

The Gammage Cup

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 

Pictures of Hollis Woods

A Parcel of Patterns

 

That's also a LOT of books for one year, esp. to get any depth out of them. Totally agree with you about just selecting a few -- maybe 6 from the classics list -- that you take your time with, read slowly and go deep (I'd invest in a few good individual lit. guides to beef up SL). And then let him pick another 6-8 from the other categories as solo reading, with no formal schooling expectations on those books. Just read for enjoyment.

 

As for literature he likes/dislikes...sigh. If I assign it, he doesn't like it. He could be reading a book, I tell him hey, we'll count that for schoolwork, and he will want to drop it...  .... we don't do much at all with the literature, because just getting him to read the book exhausts me. I need to step it up next year, and having a list and some questions to ask to at least spark a discussion is what I'm looking for.

 

What about outsourcing the Lit? Then you can come alongside as cheerleader and encourage by reading with him, and he's totally accountable to an outside teacher and the peer pressure of a class -- that could put his feet to the fire in a positive way for the choice of literature questions and discussion and writing. ;) --  That allows you to say: "Hey, I didn't choose it, your teacher required it! I'm really busy, but, well… I suppose I *could* try and make some time to read together with you, or discuss with you if might help you feel more prepared for class… It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for you..." ;)  :laugh:

 

If that is a possibility, look for an online class with live class discussion that is covering books that are of interest to him or are books you want to make sure he covers before graduation. Or see if there's a quality homeschool co-op class or university-model school that allows you to take a single class. Or maybe take a single English class at the local public/private/charter high school...

 

 

A side idea for getting exposure to more of the classics without a fuss: What about a movie night every other week? Pick a well-done film version of a classic piece of literature, make popcorn, watch as a family, enjoy, and if discussion comes up great, if not fine. Maybe save any questions for the next day, to not make the family film night feel like school. ;)

 

Also, sometimes watching a film version FIRST (esp. Shakespeare, Dickens, or other author with loads of characters, confusing plots, or difficult language), can make reading it afterwards a lot easier. :)

 

 

 

… Having the curriculum assign the book instead of me helps a bit. He liked most of the books from Sonlight Core H, but not all...

 

...this is a link to the sample of the current Parent Guide. http://www.sonlight.com/attachments/230-PG/230-PG-3-week-sample.pdf

 

Thank you. :) I did look through it. Just me: that would be too light to be of help to me as parent/teacher, and it would be too scattered/random to hand over to my students for them to do it themselves -- my DSs would have needed something much more guided with a series of questions leading into the big idea. Again, that's just me.

 

SL sounds like works fine for your family, and that's great! Perhaps just consider one of the other high school cores that has more modern titles or works DS would be more interested in???

 

 

I also would highly encourage you to look at Movies as Literature as a GREAT way of moving into literary analysis and discussion. Starting with films makes the transition much easier into discussing books, and it is a scheduled curriculum so that the curriculum is making the assignments, not you. And it's almost all movies from 20th century books… That curriculum, coupled with Windows to the World, would really give him GREAT tools for moving forward in reading / discussing / analyzing literature.

 

Part of his "fuss" right now might be that he's not really sure how to go about literary analysis and discussion, so he's resisting turning books into formal "school". If he gains a few "tools" for literary analysis and starts to feel more comfortable with discussion, he *may* be less resistant… Also, it's a good idea to not turn favorite books into school (I'm thinking of SWB's talk on "What is Literary Analysis and When To Do It"). Just a few thoughts! :)

 

BEST of luck in coming up with what works for next year! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

[ktgrok]

Thank you for the feedback. Now I'm looing at Oak Meadow Literature II, and like what I see, except I see there is a book by Ayn Rand, called Anthem. I know nothing about this book, other than I dislike Ayn Rand's political/economic views. Any thoughts?

[AHASRADA]

I did OM Lit. II with ds a couple of years ago. We both really enjoyed all of the books, including Anthem. It is actually quite short, and is a dystopian fiction highlighting the evils of communism/socialism run amok and praise for the inherent value of the individual. Great stuff!

[ktgrok]

Just an update:

 

We are going with the Sonlight 430 Literature, which is American Lit, and then Core 100 for history. I will pick up some guides to a few of the literature books, and do some WTM style stuff as well. I think he will like that reading list much better!