Where, in TWTM, are Literary Devices and Techniques Addressed?

[Carolinagirl1]

We're using a reading curriculum now (CLE) that teaches literary concepts such as personification, similes, metaphors, euphemisms, hyperboles, and other figures of speech, etc. I would love to just use the classic literature to match up with our history cycle as our reading program, and I've read through TWTM to figure out where and how these concepts should be covered. Am I missing it, or what is the recommendation for teaching these concepts, or do you just figure it out as you go along?

[Hunter]

There was a thread here recently and I cannot find it.

[mom31257]

Here is a list of sources used along with Figuratively Speaking. Would this help?

 

http://funschoolingblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/figuratively-speaking-literary-excerpts.html

[Lori D.]

Here's TWTM author Susan Wise-Bauer's (SWB) info on "What is Literary Analysis and When to Teach It":

- the for-a-fee downloadable audio lecture

- and the free handout/outline to go with the audio lecture (scroll about halfway down the page for the specific info on teaching literary terms).

 

It looks like from the handout that TWTM has you formally study those terms in grades 9-12. Once a week, spend 30-45 minutes studying terms by making a notebook/list of terms and definitions and doing the exercises in Essential Literary Terms: A Brief Norton Guide With Exercises by Sharon Hamilton.

 

The Christian Light Education (CLE) reading series starts introducing literary terms in grade 4 level. You can see the terms used in the CLE scope and sequence -- it is embedded with all the CLE subjects and all the grades (1-8) -- so scroll down about 1/3 to "Sunrise 2nd Edition Reading" -- the "400s" units are 4th grade, the "500s" units are 5th grade, etc. Introduction to literary terms starts with the 4th grade units.

 

You could compare the CLE scope and sequence with the table of contents with the Hamilton book recommended by TWTM, and see if your students could switch over from CLE to something more independent like the Hamilton book -- or maybe instead do the once a week study with something at a middle school level like Figuratively Speaking (and then Walch Toolbox: Prose and Poetry), rather than the college-level Hamilton book. On the other hand, these options will not be as incremental and geared for grade-level as CLE's reading program.

 

The nice thing about CLE is that it is geared to take 1 semester, so if you spread it out and do it 2x/week one week and 3x/week the next week, you would easily be able to do your Literature classics to match with your History time period on the alternate schedule 3x/week on the week you're doing CLE 2x/week, and classic Lit. 2x/week for the week you're doing CLE 3x/week.

 

 

A quick aside on TWTM waiting until high school for formal study of literary terms: I prefer not to do this, as -- just my experience with our own DSs and with teaching Literature & Composition classes for middle and high school students -- it actually seems to work better to start teaching/exposing students to the literary devices, along with very gentle beginning literature analysis/discussion, in the middle school grades (along about grades 6-8, depending on student readiness). And then continue to get exposure to and use the literary devices (along with other topics in Literature) in high school as you are going deeper in your analysis and discussion in the high school years.

 

My high school students who have had no previous exposure in middle school to literary terms take a lot longer to be able to think and go deep in discussion, as they are also having to learn the literary terms and learn what those look like in the literature, and then finally they have to process how the terms are working. Having a first, earlier exposure to many of the commonly used literary terms in middle school really seems to help "prime the pump" for students to more quickly see the literary terms at work and be able to discuss/analyze more deeply. Just my experience! :)

 

On the other hand, CLE starts literary terms and literary analysis in grade 4, which I personally think is a bit early for many students. I prefer to start about middle school age, when the logic and abstract thinking parts of the brain are starting to mature -- students not only "click" more quickly with the literary terms, but are already "primed" by later Logic stage thinking/development to see why/how those literary elements are working. I do think using the CLE reading program can be a great way of going about learning the literary elements and beginning analysis -- you just want to be careful that the workbook method, or starting younger than usual, doesn't:

 

1. kill the love of Literature for the student

 

2. or train a young student into thinking of literary terms and literary analysis as a sort of "checklist of things to find" and the student just stops there -- rather than understanding that the literary devices are tools to help dig deeper for the treasure to be discovered and enjoyed in Literature for the rest of one's life ;)

 

Again, all of that is just my opinion! Enjoy your literature journeys! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Lori D.

[2_girls_mommy]

Good question! I haven't actually seen that suggestion in my WTM readings, and don't have anything going onshelf for my 9th grader this year. So I need to add the Hamilton book to my wishlist. I thought I had all of the high school WTM suggestions purchased and going, but I missed that one.  Thanks for this thread!

[Harriet Vane]

Here's TWTM author Susan Wise-Bauer's (SWB) info on "What is Literary Analysis and When to Teach It":

- the for-a-fee downloadable audio lecture

- and the free handout/outline to go with the audio lecture (scroll about halfway down the page for the specific info on teaching literary terms).

 

It looks like from the handout that TWTM has you formally study those terms in grades 9-12. Once a week, spend 30-45 minutes studying terms by making a notebook/list of terms and definitions and doing the exercises in Essential Literary Terms: A Brief Norton Guide With Exercises by Sharon Hamilton.

 

The Christian Light Education (CLE) reading series starts introducing literary terms in grade 4 level. You can see the terms used in the CLE scope and sequence -- it is embedded with all the CLE subjects and all the grades (1-8) -- so scroll down about 1/3 to "Sunrise 2nd Edition Reading" -- the "400s" units are 4th grade, the "500s" units are 5th grade, etc. Introduction to literary terms starts with the 4th grade units.

 

You could compare the CLE scope and sequence with the table of contents with the Hamilton book recommended by TWTM, and see if your students could switch over from CLE to something more independent like the Hamilton book -- or maybe instead do the once a week study with something at a middle school level like Figuratively Speaking (and then Walch Toolbox: Prose and Poetry), rather than the college-level Hamilton book. But these options will not be as incremental and thorough as CLE's reading program.

 

The nice thing about CLE is that it is geared to take 1 semester, so if you spread it out and do it 2x/week one week and 3x/week the next week, you would easily be able to do your Literature classics to match with your History time period on the alternate schedule 3x/week on the week you're doing CLE 2x/week, and classic Lit. 2x/week for the week you're doing CLE 3x/week.

 

 

A quick aside on TWTM waiting until high school for formal study of literary terms: I prefer not to do this, as -- just my experience with our own DSs and with teaching Literature & Composition classes for middle and high school students -- it actually seems to work better to start teaching/exposing students to the literary devices, along with very gentle beginning literature analysis/discussion, in the middle school grades (along about grades 6-8, depending on student readiness). And then continue to get exposure to and use the literary devices (along with other topics in Literature) in high school as you are going deeper in your analysis and discussion in the high school years.

 

My high school students who have had no previous exposure in middle school to literary terms take a lot longer to be able to think and go deep in discussion, as they are also having to learn the literary terms and learn what those look like in the literature, and then finally they have to process how the terms are working. Having a first, earlier exposure to many of the commonly used literary terms in middle school really seems to help "prime the pump" for students to more quickly see the literary terms at work and be able to discuss/analyze more deeply. Just my experience! :)

 

On the other hand, CLE starts literary terms and literary analysis in grade 4, which I personally think is a bit early for many students. I prefer to start about middle school age, when the logic and abstract thinking parts of the brain are starting to mature. I do think using the CLE reading program can be a great way of going about learning the literary elements and beginning analysis -- you just want to be careful that the workbook method, or starting younger than usual, doesn't:

 

1. kill the love of Literature for the student

 

2. or train a young student into thinking of literary terms and literary analysis as a sort of "checklist of things to find" and the student just stops there -- rather than understanding that the literary devices are tools to help dig deeper for the treasure to be discovered and enjoyed in Literature for the rest of one's life ;)

 

Again, all of that is just my opinion! Enjoy your literature journeys! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

I used the Norton Essential Literary Terms with my dd and a friend of hers. Very thorough, fabulous resource.

 

And, as usual, I agree with soooo much of what Lori has to say.  :thumbup1:

[El...]

There's another podcast I really like on this subject - Adam Andrews on analysis using A Bargain for Frances, by Russell Hoban.  It is the one titled Education, Freedom... and Literary Analysis.  He has neat things to say about when and how to introduce these things. 

 

http://pelicansociety.org/Conventions/Audio.aspx

[Guest]

There's another podcast I really like on this subject - Adam Andrews on analysis using A Bargain for Frances, by Russell Hoban.  It is the one titled Education, Freedom... and Literary Analysis.  He has neat things to say about when and how to introduce these things. 

 

http://pelicansociety.org/Conventions/Audio.aspx

 

:iagree: That's an MP3 worth paying for imo. 

[El...]

:iagree: That's an MP3 worth paying for imo. 

It's free in the above link!!  But yes, it would be worth buying this one.

[Guest]

It's free in the above link!!  But yes, it would be worth buying this one.

 

Even better! I already have it so I didn't' even click the link. I used to have a Pelican Society membership. :)