when a book is too hard, what to do

[kristin0713]

My 12yo started reading The Hobbit yesterday.  She was so excited to read it but the language is really challenging for her.  We've read a lot of classic literature as read alouds but not as much for independent reading. She doesn't want to read it now and I'm not sure how to proceed.  Read it with her, or table it for now since she's barely into it yet?  FWIW, she's always been a strong reader, but in 5th grade she had viral triggered encephalitis which caused academic regression. She has mostly bounced back, but I think she is still behind where she would be if that had not happened. 

[HomeAgain]

If you want to continue the book, I'd strongly consider getting a lit guide to go with it.  We used MBTP's guide and while I thought the book was dull as dirt, my then-12yo did very well with it and ended up liking it a lot.
There's also no harm in dropping it, and looking for a different book, possibly revisiting the Hobbit down the road.

[kristin0713]

We have a literature guide, Garlic Press Discovering Literature. There is a list of vocabulary and definitions for every chapter which is very helpful. I think she wants to be able to understand it without thinking too hard.  I don't want to take away all challenge but I want her to her able to understand and enjoy it. 

[HomeAgain]

14 minutes ago, kristin0713 said:

We have a literature guide, Garlic Press Discovering Literature. There is a list of vocabulary and definitions for every chapter which is very helpful. I think she wants to be able to understand it without thinking too hard.  I don't want to take away all challenge but I want her to her able to understand and enjoy it. 

I just looked at it.  I.........well, that would not have worked for my kid to get him into the story.  He traveled along with the Hobbit in MBTP.  He had a map that he filled out as he went along, created riddles and clay monsters, was guided through the examples of foreshadowing and flashbacks, applied situations in the book to outside life, and a whole lot of other things that looked a bit more tween friendly. 
If you want her to enjoy it, look for resources that will share the enjoyment of the book with her instead of turning it into mere work.

[kristin0713]

57 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

I just looked at it.  I.........well, that would not have worked for my kid to get him into the story.  He traveled along with the Hobbit in MBTP.  He had a map that he filled out as he went along, created riddles and clay monsters, was guided through the examples of foreshadowing and flashbacks, applied situations in the book to outside life, and a whole lot of other things that looked a bit more tween friendly. 
If you want her to enjoy it, look for resources that will share the enjoyment of the book with her instead of turning it into mere work.

 

I can see how that would help, but I still think the language is very challenging for her.  She loves to read and does not need a bunch of projects to stay engaged.  So I'm still not sure if we should wait or keep going. 

[regentrude]

get her the audio book?

[RenaInTexas]

Audiobook and let her read along with that. Seeing and hearing the words will help - in that, context clues will have an easier time to kick in when she is listening versus fumbling through the words herself.

Edited September 5, 2018 by RenaInTexas

[Lori D.]

As I see it, your options are:
- Audio book and let her listen.
- Switch it to family read aloud.
- Buddy read ("you read a page, I read a page").
- Save it for later.
- Drop it/skip it entirely.

Any one of these is fine. Perhaps ask your DD what she'd like to do??

While I normally agree with HomeAgain, I have to say that adding a guide to solo reading a book that was above DSs' reading level would NOT have solved the problem here -- it would have just turned a hard book into even more work, resulting in melt-downs and hatred for the book and possibly triggered a dislike for reading overall. But that's just us here. What would have worked here was either  buddy reading -- share the experience together, and getting to listen every other page gave them a "breather", and we could talk and enjoy together as we read (which is what turned Tom Sawyer from a frustrating experience into an enjoyable one for DS#2 at that age). Or, switch it to be a family read aloud.

Just our experience. BEST of luck in finding what works best for your family!

Edited November 19, 2018 by Lori D.

[Jann in TX]

I was/am a very advanced reader and I could not /cannot  handle the language in the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.  I've tried many many times over the past 40+ years... not going to happen!

I absolutely LOVED the audio books though!  -- 'Reading along' with an audio book would not have helped...in fact it would have made me miserable.... I could color or work on puzzles or even drive while listening and absorb all of the minute details-- but I just COULD NOT READ those (types) of books.

My issue ended up being a visual processing thing-- 99% sure I'm a closet dyslexic (I also have dysgraphia).  My middle daughter is dyslexic and she is also now a certified dyslexic specialist-- she LOVES to analyze me!

 

 

 

[Lori D.]

3 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:

... cannot  handle the language in the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings...
... I absolutely LOVED the audio books though!  -- 'Reading along' with an audio book would not have helped...in fact it would have made me miserable....

Yes, it really depends on the person. Audiobook *here* would mean "listening to it like a read-aloud" and possibly doing something with your hands simultaneously to help focus. Audiobook for others might mean something like Kindle WhisperSync, or read along in the book while listening to the audiobook read it aloud.

[FairProspects]

I'd pick a different book. 6th grade is young for The Hobbit anyway. There are plenty of language challenging books that she may find more interesting. I'd save it for later.

[kristin0713]

Thanks everyone.  We are tabling it for now.  I wish I hadn't put so much work into planning for it!

[Lori D.]

31 minutes ago, kristin0713 said:

Thanks everyone.  We are tabling it for now.  I wish I hadn't put so much work into planning for it!

Think of it as working ahead. (:D

[Condessa]

On 9/5/2018 at 11:53 AM, FairProspects said:

I'd pick a different book. 6th grade is young for The Hobbit anyway. There are plenty of language challenging books that she may find more interesting. I'd save it for later.

6th grade is young for the Hobbit?  What age is normal for it?

[Lori D.]

19 hours ago, Michelle Conde said:

6th grade is young for the Hobbit?  What age is normal for it?

I've seen it assigned anywhere from 5th-9th grade (so, age range of 10-14). I personally think it really depends on the student, both the interest level as well as reading level and experience/comfort with reading. And it also depends on if you're just reading or actually digging into it a bit with a guide.

At Scholastic's Book Wizard reading level website, it is listed as: grades = 7-12 / Guided Reading Level = Z / DRA = 70 / Lexile = 1000L. Here's a chart which matches up Guided Reading and Lexile measures, which puts The Hobbit at mid-7th grade (DRA) or early 8th grade (Lexile).

Sonlight has The Hobbit as a 5th grade reader.
Moving Beyond the Page has it as a unit study in the age 11-13 materials (so roughly 6th-7th)
Memoria's guide places it in 7th grade.
Oak Meadow and Hewitt's Lightning Literature 8 put it in their 8th grade programs.

 

Edited September 30, 2018 by Lori D.

[FairProspects]

17 hours ago, Michelle Conde said:

6th grade is young for the Hobbit?  What age is normal for it?

 

8th grade is where I've typically seen it placed in the secondary English teaching sequence, as one of the novel options available for teaching the Hero's Journey archetype. This lines up with the Lexile recommendation Lori D. listed above, meaning that most readers would also have the decoding/vocabulary skills by that grade to access the text for literature study (not simply a pleasure read).

Edited September 30, 2018 by FairProspects

[Ausmumof3]

I’d switch to audio and have it on in the car.  Sword in the Stone was a struggle for my oldest for some reason (he’s a good reader but couldnt get into it) and yet we all even the six year old loved the audio version.

[Lori D.]

16 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I’d switch to audio and have it on in the car.  Sword in the Stone was a struggle for my oldest for some reason (he’s a good reader but couldnt get into it) and yet we all even the six year old loved the audio version.

Wow -- Sword in the Stone has some pretty complex political systems discussions, so that's impressive that switching to audio made such a difference. (:D And Sword in the Stone is measured at a slightly higher reading level (gr. 9-12 / 1120 Lexile) than The Hobbit.

Edited September 30, 2018 by Lori D.

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, Lori D. said:

Wow -- Sword in the Stone has some pretty complex political systems discussions, so that's impressive that switching to audio made such a difference. (:D And Sword in the Stone is measured at a slightly higher reading level (gr. 9-12 / 1120 Lexile) than The Hobbit.

Well that’s good to know!  I’m not sure that they got or understood all of it especially the youngest but they kept begging to listen so must have been getting something.

[Ausmumof3]

Interestingly the Lord of the Rings books have a lower lexile level than the hobbit!  One of those areas where Lexie level isn’t that high but the themes are more mature I guess.

[SKL]

I read the Hobbit as an adult.  I think nothing is lost by waiting until later for that book.

If she is open to listening to it, I would consider getting the audiobook, but I probably would not push her to read it herself at this point.

[Bokons]

I read The Hobbit for the first time when I was in high school, and I loved it. Then I read it to my two older boys when they were in grades 1 and 3 (approximately), and all they remember are the pictures (I had used an illustrated edition - the same one I read in high school). I think it's okay to wait or use an audiobook. 

I loved the Prydain Chronicles when I was in grade 6, and I gave the first one to my son to read last year when he was in grade 6, and he didn't really understand it, so wasn't enjoying it. I ended up reading it aloud to him, and I had to explain some of the language to him, and he enjoyed it more. I didn't realize that some of the language was so rich. But I was an avid reader when I was a kid, and my son doesn't like to read.