This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: How and Why to Use Literature Study Guides- Special Replay.

How and Why to Use Literature Study Guides

Sabrina and Vicki LOVE Literature! In this episode we are recording in Vicki’s office, not very fancy for recording: just a chair draped with a blanket for best sound production! We homeschool moms are often making do with what we have! That’s why we know this wise saying from Vicki: Motherhood is the necessity of invention.

Why use Literature Study Guides?

Teens often need a little bit of coaching or guidance to get the most out of a book. And we need some wisdom on how to give them that coaching without killing the book! That’s how 7SistersHomeschool.com got started creating Literature Study Guides for our teens and for co-op and group classes. Our guides have been vetted by homeschooling teens and moms who love books and those who don’t love books because: You can be successful as a homeschool mom, even if you don’t love books!

Rather than bore teens with basic rehearsing the information in a book, good literature study guides can help teens build good thinking skills. Good high school Literature Study Guides give a few comprehension (just the facts) question but concentrate on inferential questions and teaching a limited number of literature themes.

However, younger homeschooler are not developmentally ready for inferential thinking. So, we 7Sisters found a way to create Literature Activity Guides for Elementary Readers!

• These guides are quick, fun, hands-on reading activities that build skills using classic, age-appropriate books. It is a great way to develop their reading skills and nurture a love of reading. Try out You Are Special Literature Activity Guide for the classic by Max Lucado. It’s FREE!
  

We also have a few Literature Study Guides Guides for late Elementary Readers.

• These are very basic guides with mostly comprehension and information in a basic introduction to using study guides. Get started with Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Literature Study Guide.
  

We have introduced a few Middle School Literature Study Guides.

• Because most middle schoolers are not developmentally ready for inferential skills. Thus, there is mostly comprehension and inspiration in these fun guides. Check out these guides with a freebie: Literature Study Guide for Misty of Chincoteague.
  

Some high school level books have so much happening in story and character that lots of comprehension and concrete learning must happen.

• Two of these books we recommend are:
  
  • Chuck Colson’s Born Again. Mostly comprehension. It is such a big, complicated book. Concentrating on the facts helps teens get the most out of this important political/historical biography. 7Sisters Literature Guide for Born Again helps teens keep track of time, events and characters.
    
  •  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Mostly comprehension so that teens can keep track of character, events and timeline. There is also a *sum-it-up-process activity* toward the end of the guide.
    
  
  

Most high school level books should develop inferential (deeper thinking, implied information) skills.

• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is a great example. While most people have read The Chronicles of Narnia in late elementary or middle school, teens need to revisit Narnia. Lewis reminds us that, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”
  
• Adolescents are developmentally ready to deal with the symbolism, theology, and philosophy that Lewis embedded in each scene of each book.
  
  • For instance, The Silver Chair draws heavily on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. This book is a book about the nature of reality, the development of character, and the necessary choice of believing.
    
  • Or in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, teens learn the concept of *sehnsucht* (the longing for heaven, for things they don’t know yet) that is deeply embedded throughout the book. Our teens have LOVED the revisit to Narnia!
    
  
  

Most of the other high school level Literature Study Guides concentrate on one or two literary concepts (character arc, foreshadowing, theme, plotline, etc) so that teens don’t loose the love of the book by overdoing the teaching. We want teens to love to think deeply and love reading. You can’t do that by killing the book with too many questions or concepts so we keep the guides short and adaptable to interest and ability levels and personal goals.

How to Use Literature Study Guides for Homeschool High School

Now onto some ideas for using 7Sisters Literature Study Guides. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• We recommend using Literature Study Guides every single year but not for every single book. We recommend a rule of thumb of one study guide per month for an average teen. Two or more guides per month are good for college-bound teens.
  
• Each 7Sisters high school Literature Study Guide includes suggestions for ways to complete the guide at an Average, College Prep, Advanced or Honors level of rigor. Choose the level of rigor a teen wants or needs. Get your teen involved in the decision!
  
• You might find that some books are so interesting that your homeschool high schooler might enjoy working on an Honors level for that Study Guide. Some books may be more intense and even an Honors-level teen might complete some study guides at Average or College-Prep levels.
  
• Also choose the number of Literature Study Guides based on the length of the book itself. Some books (such as Les Miserables– even the abridged version) are quite long. Do fewer long books and mix in shorter books like God’s Smuggler.
  
• Don’t wait until senior year and cram all your guides in! Do some each year!
  
• Remember to be flexible! There’s not ONE right way to homeschool. Some years, monthly study guides might be too much. Some years you need many study guides.
  

Want some more help with how and why to use Literature Study Guides?

• Check out these posts on group discussions, discussion questions for Literature co-op classes, and a good order for studying different types of Literature.
  
• Check HSHSP Episode 153: Helping Teens Adjust to Group Classes and HSHSP Episode 92: Helping Literal Thinkers with Literature Analysis.
  
• Check out 7SistersHomeschool.com’s Facebook page. Sabrina has some great tips on teaching Literature. Here’s one:
  

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How and Why to Use Literature Study Guides

The post How and Why to Use Literature Study Guides- Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

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