The ideas presented here are based on the knowledge that there can be great joy in reading, and that good literature can enrich anyone's life.
Of course, there is value in solitary reading, but the enjoyment that can be found in stories is greater if it can be shared with others. There are models here of conversations with young readers as a way of showing how reading experiences can be enjoyed by both the young readers and their teachers.
Many adults, faced with the challenge of teaching literature, have the feeling that the job is too great to be reasonable. True, it is a daunting enterprise, but it can be an exciting and fun experience. One of the saving aspects of this help you have chosen to give is that there are no "right" answers to the question, "What does this mean?"
Most writers, when asked this question about what they have written, reply, "I don't know, I just wrote it. What does it mean to you?" This is not a bad philosophy to have as a teacher of literature. Most experts agree that the reader must create the "meaning" of what is read. If the work means nothing to the reader, then, for that time and person, the work means nothing.
This is what makes teaching reading so exciting; there are no wrong answers either to that most important question about meaning. How can a child be wrong about what he or she understands? It is possible in factual material to misunderstand authors' intentions, but the reading of fiction does not work that way.
The important thing to keep in mind, as you read through this book, is that reading should be fun. If the young reader does not enjoy reading, it may be because reading is seen as work. The reader is either above or below the level of the material, or the material has not been selected with the reader's interests in mind. If your student does not like to read, change the program. Forcing a child who does not like to read the material may make that child hate the material. Change the material not the child. The point of this type of reading is the enjoyment of it, not the information it contains.
Homeschoolers' Comments
"This ungraded teacher’s resource book is useful from the early grades all the way through high school. It begins with a discussion of goals and objectives. You are then referred to the index of objectives in the back of the book from which you choose appropriate lessons for each child.
The primary method the author uses to show how to teach concepts is dialogue. He first describes the idea you need to get across to your children, then provides a sample dialogue (about a book you have read to your child or your child has read to him or herself) showing how you can help children think beyond the surface of stories. You might need to read the books you will be discussing with your children (particularly if your child has weak comprehension skills) so that you can direct the conversation usefully.
The author, Dave Marks, tries to address the needs of various age groups throughout. In the back of the book are extensive reading lists which, while they are very useful, also include many books that are popular but unacceptable. However, the lists should be useful in directing us to well-written books at appropriate reading levels."
Paraphrased from Cathy Duffy at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com - my favorite online source for homeschooling information!
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Reading Strands
The ideas presented here are based on the knowledge that good literature can enrich anyone's life. This book instructs parents in a method of examining ideas in literature by asking questions that help children to think beyond the surface of the stories. Finding just the right literature, at just the right level, and covering topics your child will delight in are stressed. While most of the instruction is appropriate for all ages, some of the concepts, including parody, satire, and voice/point of view, would be best reserved for older students. Improve your ability to deeply engage your children in the books they are reading! |
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