This post is for homeschoolers and anyone who wants to help their child become a more enthusiastic and engaged reader and develop important thinking skills that have myriad applications. The thinking skills exercised in reading, literary analysis, and literary writing do so much to help your child’s mind mature in ways that will benefit him in all academic subjects and far beyond school.
Put simply, the best process to use is – read, discuss, write.
In the early years, when your child is learning to read, you can just read and enjoy! For a child learning to read – still sounding out letters, remembering letter blends and special sounds - simply making it through a Bob book or other early reader is an achievement worth celebrating! Reading at this stage is much more about the application of phonics rules and comprehension of the basic elements of what he reads. Even this requires a lot of effort at this stage.
Once reading fluency has developed enough to open the door to actual stories, then, read and discuss together.
By fourth grade (earlier for some students), read, discuss, and write.
Your child's teacher or your homeschool literature curriculum will likely provide writing projects. We will spend our time today on literature discussions.
Literature Discussion
Discussion is a vital element of literary writing, even into the high school years. Elementary and middle-school readers who read well can sometimes read without really thinking about what they are reading. We’ve all done this at times! But if you read together and periodically discuss what is read, you can bring presence and focus to the reading. Likewise, if your child is reading independently but anticipating discussion questions afterward, she is likely to read with greater engagement.
High schoolers sometimes feel stuck when asked to express themselves in writing about something they have read. However, they often have far more interesting thoughts and personal opinions than they themselves realize! As a homeschooling mom and also a classroom literature teacher, I have received some somewhat lackluster essays from students who I knew had much more in them to express! Discussion can be a great way to draw these thoughts out of the recesses of their subconscious so they can be articulated. Once they are discussed, it’s just a short step to writing thoughtful essays.
How to Discuss
How can you have a beneficial discussion about what your child is reading?
First of all, it’s great to keep it casual and non-stressful. The more you can be engaged and interested as a teacher, the better! Try to approach the discussion of literature as just a very interesting conversation you are having! If the discussion feels more like a test or drill, you are much less likely to cultivate a sense of excitement, interest, and engagement in your child.
The easiest and most helpful way to have an effective literary discussion is to ask questions that provoke thought. It’s helpful if you are familiar with the book your child is reading, but not totally necessary. In fact, it’s fine to ask your child questions to which you don’t already know the answers. The idea is just to help her process what she has read, identify important elements of the story, and articulate her thoughts about them.
What to Discuss
Here are some questions you can ask.
Who is the protagonist of this story?
What does he or she want?
Who or what is working against him or her?
What have you observed about the protagonist’s personal character so far? Is he confident, insecure, kind, angry, lonely, disengaged, diligent, etc.?
What do you think he is really struggling with at this point in the story?
Do you think he sees and understands this struggle clearly, or might he have some illusions about it?
What do you think he has done wisely so far?
What do you think he has done that might have negative consequences?
Have you learned anything about yourself from observing this character?
Has observing this character given you any insight to other people?
Have you noticed the author repeating or drawing attention to any ideas or elements in the story?
Do you have any sense about what might happen next?
Have you encountered any ideas in this story that support or contradict what you know from Scripture? Describe them and share your thoughts about them.
These questions work well for middle- and high-school students, but they can be adapted for elementary students as well. Here is how you can ask most of those same questions of younger students.
Who is the main character (called the protagonist) of this story?
What does he or she want?
Who or what is working against him, keeping him from getting what he wants ?
What have you observed about the protagonist’s personal character so far? Is he kind, mean, afraid, angry, lonely, hard-working, etc.?
What do you think he is really struggling with at this point in the story? Is the struggle more about the person or thing working against him, or is the character a major contributor to his own struggle?
What do you think he has done wisely so far?
What do you think he has done that might have negative consequences?
Is this character like you in any ways?
Does this character remind you in any ways of people you know?
Do you have any sense about what might happen next?
Can you think of any Bible verses or ideas from the Bible that might help the protagonist with his struggle?
If your child is reading a novel, it’s good if you can have several discussions throughout the reading process. It’s great if she can be prompted to think about the story as she reads and let those ideas stew in her mind throughout the reading. That will be much better than simply reading and then trying to do all the thinking after finishing the book and receiving a writing prompt about it.
Final Thoughts
Don’t allow any simple “yes” or “no” answers in your discussion! Require elaboration. Encourage your child to think and express those thoughts.
Remember that your job is mostly to listen (especially if you are discussing a book your child is reading but that you are not familiar with). Let your child teach you! Of course, you will also provide guidance as needed. But the main idea is to get your child thinking and processing the ideas in the story.
As you discuss, show interest in the story and in what your child is sharing. One of the great things about this approach is that you not only help your child learn and grow academically, but you also get some insight into how your child thinks and how he is developing spiritually, morally, and intellectually.
Next month, we’ll talk about another super helpful tool for success in literary writing – annotation. In the meantime, let me know if the comments if you have found literature discussions with your child to be helpful or if you have any questions at all about teaching or helping your child with literature!
Xo,
Christie
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