What do your kids outline from?

[hollyhock]

What is your favourite resource for your logic stage kids to outline from? I am having trouble finding something well organized enough to work for my 10yo. If I give him the lessons on outlining from R&S English, he finds them very easy. I also have the Remedia Outlining book that has been recommended here in the past, and I think he would find that very easy as well. But when I have him outline from a textbook, for whatever reason he finds it difficult. So right now I'm blaming the texts.

 

So... all that to ask... has anyone found a good text to outline from? What do you use?

[Andromeda]

The assignments that teach how to outline are often written in such a way that makes it very easy to see what the main topics are as well as sub-topics. The lower grade R&S textbooks will have simpler texts, and the remedial book will probably be the same way, although I am not personally familiar with Remedia Outliining. The topic will most likely be in the first sentence, and the remainder of the material is often written in the same order as it should appear in the outline. This is done on purpose so that the student can understand the steps and has a clear path to success. It's like learning basic math facts. 

 

When you pull out an encyclopedia or another source (even a textbook), you will most likely find that writing is not structured in the same format as the outlining lessons. The main idea could still be easy to identify, but sub-topics and supporting facts may not be as obvious, have too many details, or may not be arranged sequentially. This is especially true if you are looking at a personal narrative or other topics that do not lend themselves well to a clear, logical organization.

 

I find it helpful to use a pencil and mark the text directly or a make a copy if you don't want to damage the book. Circle the main topic, underline subtopics and number them, and cross out extras. Do that for each paragraph.  After that it is easier to see what is left and then put it in an outline form.

 

There are outlining lessons in multiple R&S textbooks, and the content increases in complexity as time goes on. You could try the "wait and see" method, or perhaps find a simpler text to use for practice. Hopefully you will get some specific book recommendations here as well.

 

 

Edited January 25, 2017 by RosemaryAndThyme

[Heathermomster]

For outlining a text book, we started by textmapping so that DS understood the structure of a book.  I used the instructs over at textmapping.org.  You basically photocopy a chapter of a book and tape the pages together side by side to make a scroll.  Using different color markers, the student identifies the headings, subheadings, bolded text, and pictures.  Once the student understands the layout of a text, outlining is easier.

 

We used mainly science and history books.  Not all text books are equal, so we spent time identifying the topic sentence of paragraphs and then locating the supporting statements.  DS and I would identify main topics and sub-topics together and write the info in the book.  We also used mindmapping software on the iPad for outlining.   

[MinivanMom]

We use history and science textbooks to outline from. I particularly like the K12 Human Odyssey series for teaching outlining, because the chapters are divided fairly well into subtopics. I think that makes it a lot easier to visually see how to organize the outline. I think any fairly organized textbook that breaks its chapters down into subtopics would work well.

[KeriJ]

What is your favourite resource for your logic stage kids to outline from? I am having trouble finding something well organized enough to work for my 10yo. If I give him the lessons on outlining from R&S English, he finds them very easy. I also have the Remedia Outlining book that has been recommended here in the past, and I think he would find that very easy as well. But when I have him outline from a textbook, for whatever reason he finds it difficult. So right now I'm blaming the texts.

 

So... all that to ask... has anyone found a good text to outline from? What do you use?

 

I have wondered this same thing.  We used WWS 1 which had detailed lessons on outlining.  But then, when we tried to do it across the curriculum, we both felt uncertain. 

 

But, you are always my inspiration for this type of thing, so now I'm nervous if you're not sure. :001_smile:

Edited February 1, 2017 by KeriJ

[KeriJ]

I've enjoyed the suggestions so far.

[hollyhock]

I am also considering switching to key word-type outlines. So far we've always done sentence ones, but I am wondering if key words would make it simpler/easier. We do already outline from science and history books (R&S history, God's Design science mostly). The other thing here is that he's only in 5th grade but he's been doing one-level outlines for more than a year, so I am trying to bump him up to two levels a year early. Maybe that is also part of the issue.

 

Thanks for suggestions!

[redsquirrel]

I also used the K12 Human Odyssey books. They work very well and are broken into discrete sections. 

[2_girls_mommy]

R&S assignments

KHE, but not as often as WTM would have us do it. 

Sometimes a science text or library book

WWS I assignments

And when they have to write an essay or a speech for a co-op class or outside activity, before they start writing. 

[Farrar]

I've just used books. Some of them lend themselves to it better than others and I just keep an eye out. When a book comes up that is more textbookish and orderly like that, I will just assign some reading+outlining.

[LMD]

My dd seems to find outlining Ellen McHenry's science stuff quite doable.

 

Our history texts are pretty good too, using Genevieve Foster this year.

 

To get good outlines from different texts usually requires lots of discussion first.

 

Actually, I've really been impressed with essay voyage, it lays it all out and provides excellent examples.

[happypamama]

My 11yo learned outlining both from WWS1 (and the basics of it from Treasured Conversations) and from History Odyssey's directions. He does the outline assignments from WWS1 but outlines KHE mostly.

[Aras]

My kids learned how to outline from an old Scholastic workbook called Paragraphing Made Easy.

 

To practice, ds is outlining from We the People, and he finds the text is very orderly. He tried outlining from Hakim's History of US, but it was too frustrating. 

Edited February 1, 2017 by Aras

[Aloha2U]

Outlining is covered in Writing & Rhetoric. However, my little man also uses his Science and History texts for outlining. This is done when studying for a test; I have him outline the chapter.

[SanDiegoMom]

My kids learned how to outline from an old Scholastic workbook called Paragraphing Made Easy.

 

To practice, ds is outlining from We the People, and he finds the text is very orderly. He tried outlining from Hakim's History of US, but it was too frustrating.

We love the History of US and the Story of Science, but cannot outline it. I've been using it occasionally to teach note-taking instead.