Post by Lene Mahler Jaqua on Apr 10, 2006 16:18:27 GMT -5
Literature Choices
The literature passages (models) we use this year have been chosen at a certain level of difficulty, specifically to increase the student’s vocabulary and his ability to read short passages of challenging texts.
A passage is challenging for a student if:
1. the topic/content is difficult
2. the vocabulary and diction is complex
3. the passage is long
If for a specific model all of the above is true, most students will become discouraged. In our choices of models, usually the passage is short, and either the topic is simple, or the vocabulary is not so difficult. We aim for passages where no more that two of the above three points are true.
As an example of our selections for this year. We chose a speech from Jane Austen’s book Pride and Prejudice. The novel itself is long, its language is difficult (for the typical 7th or 8th grader), but the subject matter is relatively easy: Two people meet, their initial impressions of each other are inaccurate due to both pride (self-importance) and prejudice (listening to gossip), but through various events, fairly simple every day events like balls and vacations, the whole matter gets cleared up and the truth is seen.
Some 7th - 8th grade students are able to read Pride and Prejudice. Others need to work to expand their vocabulary and their ability to comprehend complex sentences with ease before the novel becomes an enjoyable read to them. Many may not be able to read it till the last year of high school.
We wrote a series of lessons in Unit 3 based on a proposal speech from Pride and Prejudice. given by Mr. Collins. Our selection is quite humorous. The language is pompous and slightly challenging, but the message is simple: Dearest Elizabeth, please marry me because it would benefit me!! With this selection, we have chosen a short model on a simple topic with language as the main challenge. This level of difficultu is acceptable for our students even if reading the whole book would be a stretch for some of them.
It is important to steep students in the more difficult language for the training of the ear. It is like this: The more you read of Shakespeare or watch his plays, the easier it is to understand him. Students who are used to watching Shakespeare plays since age ten can just sit down and understand most Shakespeare dialogue with ease. Students to whom the language is unfamiliar struggle to understand him. The same is true for the writings of Jane Austen and for many other 18th and 19th century writers. With experience, her writing flows.--- Your job with the help of this curriculum is to train your students (and yourself!) to be in tune with that more sophisticated language, and it is done by analysis of short, but difficult models . We can all take whatever time it takes to decipher the meaning of one or two short paragraphs in a language arts session each day. Even if reading the whole book would be tortuous.
Lene
The literature passages (models) we use this year have been chosen at a certain level of difficulty, specifically to increase the student’s vocabulary and his ability to read short passages of challenging texts.
A passage is challenging for a student if:
1. the topic/content is difficult
2. the vocabulary and diction is complex
3. the passage is long
If for a specific model all of the above is true, most students will become discouraged. In our choices of models, usually the passage is short, and either the topic is simple, or the vocabulary is not so difficult. We aim for passages where no more that two of the above three points are true.
As an example of our selections for this year. We chose a speech from Jane Austen’s book Pride and Prejudice. The novel itself is long, its language is difficult (for the typical 7th or 8th grader), but the subject matter is relatively easy: Two people meet, their initial impressions of each other are inaccurate due to both pride (self-importance) and prejudice (listening to gossip), but through various events, fairly simple every day events like balls and vacations, the whole matter gets cleared up and the truth is seen.
Some 7th - 8th grade students are able to read Pride and Prejudice. Others need to work to expand their vocabulary and their ability to comprehend complex sentences with ease before the novel becomes an enjoyable read to them. Many may not be able to read it till the last year of high school.
We wrote a series of lessons in Unit 3 based on a proposal speech from Pride and Prejudice. given by Mr. Collins. Our selection is quite humorous. The language is pompous and slightly challenging, but the message is simple: Dearest Elizabeth, please marry me because it would benefit me!! With this selection, we have chosen a short model on a simple topic with language as the main challenge. This level of difficultu is acceptable for our students even if reading the whole book would be a stretch for some of them.
It is important to steep students in the more difficult language for the training of the ear. It is like this: The more you read of Shakespeare or watch his plays, the easier it is to understand him. Students who are used to watching Shakespeare plays since age ten can just sit down and understand most Shakespeare dialogue with ease. Students to whom the language is unfamiliar struggle to understand him. The same is true for the writings of Jane Austen and for many other 18th and 19th century writers. With experience, her writing flows.--- Your job with the help of this curriculum is to train your students (and yourself!) to be in tune with that more sophisticated language, and it is done by analysis of short, but difficult models . We can all take whatever time it takes to decipher the meaning of one or two short paragraphs in a language arts session each day. Even if reading the whole book would be tortuous.
Lene