Suggestions for 9th grade English (literature)

[Forget-Me-Not]

My daughter has started the year with Oak Meadow, and it's rapidly becoming apparent that it's really not her thing.  I think the expectations for analyzing the literature are a bit too advanced for her.  I need something straightforward and no-frills that will teach her to read and analyze lit.  Perhaps something that will help build writing skills along the way.  Suggestions?

Edited October 4, 2019 by Forget-Me-Not

[Ann.without.an.e]

I highly recommend Windows to the World for 8th or 9th grade.  It is such a great jumping off point for literature analysis. 

https://iew.com/shop/products/windows-world-introduction-literary-analysis-teacherstudent-combo

[Lori D.]

Agreeing with Attolia about Windows to the World (WttW).

And if that is more than she is ready for, you might check out Lightning Lit. 7 (LL7) -- a good selection of classic lit (2 short stories, 2 units of poetry, and 4 novels (Alice in Wonderland; Tom Sawyer; The Story of My Life (Helen Keller biography); and All Creatures Great and Small). Don't worry about the "number" or "grade level" -- it is great beginning place because it is designed to be a very gentle introduction into more formal lit. study. WttW would then be a good program after LL7

There is also a LL8, but it is a slightly longer program (3 short stories, 3 poetry units and 6 novels (Treasure Island; The Hobbit; A Christmas Carol; A Day of Pleasure; My Family and Other Animals; To Kill a Mockingbird). I think some of the lit. selections might be a little less engaging for someone struggling to get started with "digging deeper" into literature. The downside is that while both LL7 and LL8 have a "mini writing lesson" to go with each unit, it is not as step-by-step in explaining how to write a literary analysis essay as WttW.

The other option you might want to consider is Movies as Literature. Some students find it much easier to learn how to analyze by SEEING what's going on deeper in a MOVIE, and learning how to discuss that and write about, and using that program as a stepping stone to then having an easier time with analyzing and discussing and writing about what you READ about with literature. So, as you do this program, you could also pick several of the movies and read the classic work of literature that the film comes from, and either discuss or write some comparisons. (Books you could choose from that would be especially good for a 9th grader: Shane; Friendly Persuasion; Emma; To Kill a Mockingbird; A Raisin in the Sun.)

BEST of luck in finding what fits best for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[RubyPenn]

I really like Memoria Press literature.  For 9th grade they read Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Canterbury Tales, Henry V, and poetry.  The literature analysis is intertwined with the readings and student guide questions. 

[Momto6inIN]

Another vote for Windows to the World! It teaches with short stories so the literary analysis doesn't seem nearly so overwhelming.

[Mom28kds]

Following! Is WTTW easy to grade for someone with no literature experience?

 

Edited October 15, 2019 by Mom28kds