Books - Book basket, reading lists, summer reading,

[lschalk]

I know this program is very new. For anyone that has used it already ... is book basket still part of the program? If not, are there lists of recommended "additional" reading? Just curious ... thank you.

My son is doing the 1st year of the HS program this year. There is not a book basket, but there is a suggested extra reading list, along with several books that they are required to read through as well.

Linda

[Lucy]

Just adding on to what Linda has said.

My daughter is doing the first year of high school as well and has little time for extra reading. The books in the program of course give more depth and I like that more than one book is used to give the facts and information. One book that is particularly beautiful is a book with text which gives insights with a biblical perspective, as well as wonderful photos about the pharaohs of Egypt(where else right?).

As Linda said there are some books listed that could be read as extras relating to the time period. Many of these books are not as difficult or as intense as the ones in the program. Each student will vary on the time available and interest in reading more books. My daughter has read a couple of other books outside the program this year but not related to what she is studying, although they have been good reads and worth her time.

Hope this helps you.

Lucy

[MJ in IL]

We are finally beginning the High School Program and my daughter and I are really excited. :)

I have a question on the reading. In the introduction, there are several books listed to read in addition to the classics that are included in the program. They have broken the list down into sections. There are some listed under Creation/fall of man and some listed under Egypt, etc. Do the kids read any of these books at any time, or do we choose them in order? Thanks so much for any help. :)

Blessings!
Amy in Oregon

We are simply adding them in as we have time trying to line up somewhat with what is being studied. I am asking her to read a specified amt of time/day...she alternates between "school" books from the list and "teenage character" books. We will discuss them together during our meeting time. I chose Perelandra for the first...she didn't really like it but I read it and found it led to several great discussions! I hope we can continue the plan to be able to discuss more lit and character books!

[gressman9]

My understanding is that these books were just "recomended" not required reading. I intend to choose some of them, but my daughter is also choosing to read books from her last year's SL list that she didn't finish. As long as she is reading good literature consistently, I think it is fine.

Carylee
mom2seven

[amylynn12]

Thank you so much, Molly & Carylee! :)

[cbollin]

Is Mere Christianity or screwtape scheduled later in hs?

Do you ever get to the end of a school year and feel behind and like you should have done more?? I do this anxiety thing in May EVERY school year....you could probably look back at posts I put on this board at about this time each year that have this same tone to them!!! I didn't require much reading beyond AHL assigned reading this year, because I had this fear of high school and wanted her to get used to it. She and I have been discussing her school day and she is getting done quickly (4 hours yesterday) and I'm wishing I would have required more reading. UGGG!!! I know it's not too late, but it will require more time now that we have an entire school year behind us.

On the positive side, she did read the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the entire Old Testament, Greek and Roman Mythology, a few other things, and she volunteered a LOT this year. I'm just looking back at all she didn't do. She's really just more interested in church, social stuff, serving, and not as interested in how her great books list will look on a college resume. I thought homeschoolers were supposed to be different!!! Sorry I'm doing my anxiety rambling right now!!

Is Mere Christianity or screwtape scheduled later in hs? I'm considering having dd read one or both of these over the summer but might have her do something else if they are already scheduled. Can anyone give me some recommendations that wouldn't just blow her mind (please not Don Quixote) but would be an enjoyable summer read? I STILL haven't purchased the SAT prep book and am also wanting her to do some from the reading list in there but I know there are some that would be good for her and some that would just be extremely difficult!!!

I don't know on the CS Lewis stuff. sorry. I don't see either of those books in WHL. (hmmm.. what does that brit lit package mean?) and I know... it didn't answer the question if either of those books will be in year 3 or 4 of high school. sorry. LOL

I'm glad you put a wink in that final paragraph. I was worried for a minute you were seriously worried she hadn't read much in "great books" or thought most colleges really want to see that level of detail.

If she has 3 or 4 years of consistent volunteer service in the same kind of field, that will impress the other kind of colleges more than "she sat around reading Shakespeare". That's the big thing around here. Colleges, when looking at applications and portfolios like to see commitment and responsibility over "padding". So if she is sticking with a social service organization such as a CPC where she is serving, that goes a long way.I'm not sure very many colleges ask in detail for every single book you've read since 7th grade (I know..... some of them do... not all, not most). They want that transcript. They want those standardized test scores. They want portfolios. That's not to say that some colleges might ask for more, so you want to keep your reading list of what you do.... but they aren't interested in what you didn't get done. still,.... a small summer reading list couldn't hurt: if you want her to read either of the Lewis books you mentioned, let her read them this summer, and if they do show up later in curriculum, ok.

story time. when I was a kid in high school, I was on "college track" and took AP courses. I remember summer after 11th grade, they sent us a list of 3 books we were to read in the summer. We all had jobs, church, whatever going on. We got to class that first day in 12th grade, the teacher was surprised to learn that the few of us who actually read the books, understood them. But we read them in the summer to get an overview. Then we did our school work with them in school.

(((hugs)))

-crystal

[cbollin]

trying to help on the May anxiety. I hope this helps.

back on that SAT prep book thing... If I understood what Julie said that David said...and from looking at the actual book itself...

a lot of the prep work comes from the "lessons" (one per week). Those lessons (150 in the whole book?) can be done either over 3 years, 2 years, and a jammed pack session in 11th grade.

A lesson will be along the lines of some of these, but not all of these each time:
reading a passage (sometimes from a books, sometimes more devotional in nature)
think about the passage
some "critical reading skills"
reminding yourself of new vocab you are coming across in reading and other school or other vocab activity
maybe a quick grammar point - select the correct answer, or a quick paragraph to write (prepping for timed essay)
then a math problem to solve to keep sharp on skills

There are very few times those "lessons" are tied to having to have finished a specific book. In other words, they'll print the passage. But you could have read it before, after, or be in a different book. It shouldn't matter. It's skills based, not literature based. Do those once a week and you'll gradually build up and be ready.

additionally, you get a long list of books that you can read from. I can't imagine that most kids in this book will be reading one per week. Some might. But I don't think the goal is to read everything on the list. I don't think MFW had that in mind either.

MFW uses some of the same great books in high school. I'll list if something on WHL is in this book so that you would be assured that you are getting great books that will be nice for college application stuff. I'm taking a surface glance. not a full cross reference...
Julius Caesar - yes. pilgrim's progress. tale of two cities.silas marner. cry beloved country. animal farm. and I'm sure I overlooked Pride and Prejudice.

But it should be noted....
It says in this prep book The following list represents a fairly comprehensive cross section of good literature. There are hundreds of other pieces that might be as good. They were chosen for vocab building.

you're going to be ok,Teresa.... (((hugs))) so will your daughter. so will mine! We're getting lots of those great books just because Marie was kind enough to figure it for us and schedule it.

dont' get too stressed out on the length of the great books list in the SAT prep book. I seriously doubt most incoming freshman to harvard have read ALL of them either. and, yes, the books on AHL were in there too. So, you're off to a great start already.

-crystal

[Julie in MN]

I'm considering having dd read one or both of these over the summer but might have her do something else if they are already scheduled. Can anyone give me some recommendations that wouldn't just blow her mind (please not Don Quixote) but would be an enjoyable summer read?

Has she read any of the books on the MFW list of "classics" that's in the back of the manuals from ECC through 1850MOD? I could get out my SAT book and check, but I'd guess there's a lot of cross-over (especially in terms of the "easier" books Stobaugh recommends). After attending Mr. Stobaugh's workshop last fall, I decided to go ahead and start having my 8th grader read books simply because they are well-known -- books that he could quote in an essay and everyone would recognize the reference (or vice versa, he could read an essay using a literary example and understand the reference). The vocabulary in these books is also an asset. I even <sigh> broke down my resolve and had him read a book I've personally never thought had any merit -- Alice In Wonderland We even watched the Disney movie afterwards and did a Venn diagram comparing the (many) differences between the book & movie.

I don't know what your dd has already read, but here are some my non-lover-of-reading ds read this year that I consider to be in the "classics" category, but which weren't too difficult. They'll probably lean towards "boy" books. Oh, and just to be honest, I'll note which he listened to on audiobooks &) which Mr. Stobaugh fully supported.

Alice In Wonderland (audio)
Tom Sawyer
A Christmas Carol, Dickens (audio)
Just So Stories, Kipling (a few)
Treasure Island, Stevenson (audio)
The Hobbit
a couple biographies

[cbollin]

another audio book fan over here..

our library has free download e-audio books on a LOT of classics in stobaugh' s book

[Teresa in TX]

Thank you for the responses!!! I am going to get that SAT prep book ordered so she can at least work through some of it this summer. Yes, Julie, she has already done a few of the books on her own, but not many. I am a little calmer today. I'm just seeing that she could really add a lot to her vocabulary, I'd like her to read more of the great books than she has thusfar, and I am regretting not adding some of the recommendations to her schedule this year since she could have fit it in!!! The speed of her reading has picked up this year and with all of our busyness I hadn't noticed how quickly she was getting her days done...then I was smacking myself for not requiring more of her!!!!

Crystal, it is nice to hear things from the perspective of someone who did AP courses and was accepted to a major university, etc. I was NOT that person, so to me it is this huge thing that I have little perception of!! In retrospect, with a better education and more belief in my abilities, I could have done it!! But while I'm here, trying to do this for my dc, it's kind of like the saying "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." My problem is I feel like I'm working on one elephant and then I see that there's another one clear across the way and when I get to him, I'm not sure which part of him to start eating first!!! How is that for a disturbing and twisted analogy??? It makes sense in my mind but I'm sure no one else will get it.

[Rhondabee]

In AHL, there is a section in the English credit for reading some extra books not in the high school package. In AHL, we have "two options" for that "not specifically assigned reading": read some titles that go with ancient history (and those titles are provided in the intro of the AHL manual) or use any "general classics". So, for that reading time, my oldest will flip flop back and forth between AHL list and random selections in SAT prep book as long as I don't see the title used in MFW year 2 or 3 in high school.

I'm not sure how the two compare (not having used AHL). During weeks 3-10 [of WHL] there is no "scheduled" literature while a research paper is assigned, but you may add your own in. There is a list of 5 or 6 books, and you are advised to select 2 if you so choose.

There is also a list of about 28 Optional historical fiction/biographies/abridged or audio classics in the appendix that span the time frame. (these are not scheduled - they are totally optional and are titles from the lower MFW Levels, I think) Even though we've read a few of these already, I'm thinking that I'd really like to add them in. (kind of like the "daily hour of assigned free-reading" I used to do when DS was in middle school - LOL!) I really do think that having the historical fiction as a supplement really brings the history to life. I used to use historical fiction as our read-alouds, and it would be a nice bridge as we transition from a paradigm of "living books" to "textbook" (not to mention to the whole mom-dependent-learning to independent-learning; that is going to be a toughie this year, I think.)

I don't want to overload this kid. I know I should probably just go with the 20 or so that are available at the library, and what we have left-over here. And, if we read them, we read them; and if we don't, we don't. After all, they're optional, right? But, Beric the Briton is at the top of the list, and it sounds really good, and it's not at the library, and it's only $10 at Amazon.......(Waaaahhhh!!!)

Anyway, does either of that sound like what you're seeing in AHL? Is there a daily (required) "book basket"/"Free Reading" time that I'm missing somewhere? (because I haven't seen it, yet)

Rhonda

[cbollin]

that seems very similar to AHL approach. Some weeks don't have a "specific book in English" so you read for 30 minutes (or more!). historical fiction is suggested or other classic book.

I don't think "book basket" concept is used in high school as they get plenty of assigned reading on the history and Bible topics and it's already the depth there.

so yeah, I think, (reserve the right to be wrong as usual) that if you add a few titles when they aren't already assigned something, it all balances out. Sometimes letting them have hard stuff assigned and other stuff not assigned is a nice balance. just one opinion anyway.

We don't need to do the "read one book a week" assignment.
(We could do the essays or the extra reading if we so desired, but that is not a recommendation coming from MFW at this time, right?)

You don't have to overload to try to read all of those books in the SAT book. I got the idea from the Stobaughs (the sat prep book person) that they were making the "one a week" suggestion in case someone wasn't using a literature rich/literature based classical approach. MFW is definitely rich in literature already for high school students. and as Julie said somewhere, in AHL you get to read 39 "great books" in just the Bible Old Testament alone. I guess that means in WHL you get 27 great books before getting around to history and English.

[Rhondabee]

Well, I was thinking that even *if* someone doesn't have a literature-rich school environment that a book a week is still a pretty hefty suggestion! After all, even The Well-Trained Mind (the dreaded draconian tome of doom that it is - LOL! - I tried to get an extra "d" in there for tome, oh well...) Anyway, even TWTM says that 18 books a school year is "stellar." So, *if* we do any "extra, before-bed reading" of historical fiction it will be timed, without expectations on pages or books completed each week, and we'll just see what happens.

Rhonda

[cbollin]

Trying to get a handle on this--I've heard that the "book baskets" that are included in the programs for grades 2-8 tell you what week a book could be used, so you know how it fits in. Are the optional reading books for highschool also organized this way? And someone told me that the high school optional books are not exactly like the "book basket" concept--but I'm not sure how they differ. One last question--how much time in the schedule is built in for optional reading--none, some each week, some weeks but not others...? Just trying to get a feel for how the schedule is structured. Thanks! Merry

I can speak to AHL.

Free Reading in high school is not "book basket" because of the goals of book basket.
Book basket is a time that you can set down a book and not have to finish it. It is a time to develop love of reading in a wide variety of genres on topics you are studying. It's like a buffet -- you get lots of on topic options and don't have to finish everything or try it all either. It's flexible and you don't gotta have to must a finish any particular book.


Free Reading Time in high school programs: when possible, you select historical fiction that matches what you are learning. Yes, the intro of the lesson plans gives general time frames to try to read specific titles. It is not a fixed schedule to start this book today and finish by next week. That kind of reading is part of MFW high school-- but is with the package books.

You don't have to make them read historical fiction during "free reading time." It can be any classic, or anything appropriate. The idea is to have them reading during English class during times where other novels are not scheduled right then.

I'm way over complicating it. Let me quote/paraphrase from the AHL book:

• Reading is one component of English credit. A selection of classics is included in the program already. In addition, plan to read one or more books each month from the list provided in the lesson plans or from a list of general classics. The books in the lesson plans have been chosen because they are excellent books set in the ancient historical period.

Some of the books listed will be "easier" for some students. There are also some "harder" books. Categories are shared in the plans to enjoy certain books on Creation/Fall of Man; Egypt; Time of Judges; Greece,; times of King Hezekiah,. Nehemiah, Archimedes. also, we use the Stobaugh SAT prep book with its list for classics. And then, my daughter reads longer novels and titles from Progeny Press.

how much time in scheduled: depends on the week. Most all of the weeks do have "package book schedule" and then "free reading" on the grid. There are some weeks, where there is a shift around to let the student work more on writing an essay.

go to page 12 of the ahl sample.
http://www.mfwbooks.com/downloads/pdfs/ ... sample.pdf
and see how the English section has package book, then, dotted line and "reading"? that's what that is. I don't see it like that on WHL, so I look forward to others answers to help with that part.

-crystal

[Julie in MN]

Agreeing that the sample grid on the link Crystal gave might help. So for that sample week, the Mythology lesson is outlined in the lit supplement, but it includes reading from the Bulfinch book (plus a lesson). So it's not like no reading is actually scheduled, but there is room for a high schooler to be reading another book each day, so there's also a "reading" box. Most of the suggestions are light enough to be enjoyable.

My ds is in a little book club, so on the grid I write "Call of the Wild chapter 3" or whatever, rather than the suggested history-related extra books for the "reading" check-box. Or during Advent i was reading a book aloud during lunch, so i chose to write that chapter on the grid for " reading." My ds isn't a reader by choice so I'm glad it's on the daily grid and looks official. But the intro to the AHL does say that the extra reading is somewhat optional.

Julie

[Merry]

Thank you both! That's what I was hoping, but wasn't sure if my understanding was correct--glad there is some time set aside--I was thinking it would be nice to mix some easier historical fiction in with the more meaty titles, and I'm so glad there are some suggestions as to what time period to use them!

Crystal, I hope your headache gets better soon, my dh is on day 2 of an awful one.

Merry

[4Truth]

My son is in a little book club, so on the grid I write "Call of the Wild chapter 3" or whatever, rather than the suggested history-related extra books for the "reading" check-box. Or during Advent i was reading a book aloud during lunch, so i chose to write that chapter on the grid for " reading." My ds isn't a reader by choice so I'm glad it's on the daily grid and looks official. But the intro to the AHL does say that the extra reading is somewhat optional.

Julie

My dd's not in a book club, but she is a voracious reader and this is what we did with her free reading in AHL, too. Looking forward to how it is in WHL....

[MFW-Lucy]

Hi Merry,

During the World History and Literature high school curriculum it is recommended that strong readers read other classic books throughout the year to learn more about the historical time period being studied. These books do not have to be difficult and may be easier than those in the curriculum. There is a list of books and videos in the appendix of the daily lessons plans. For those who have used and still own the Teacher's Manuals from the 4th-8th grade, you may also use these book list as a resource for additional reading material.

Weeks 3- 10 are set aside for writing a research paper. For some students completing the reading for the paper will be enough for them, but for students who have interest or time we suggest reading classic literature during these weeks. There is a list of books covering this time period provided in the Daily Lesson Plans.

My kids are both average readers (as far as interest and speed). During this year neither read many books outside of the recommended reading in the lesson plan. They both were able and interested in reading more books during the first year.

Hopefully this will help you as you are seeking to understand how it all works. I am sure this has also been mentioned, but if you are close to a convention this year, that will be a great way to really get your hands on the curriculum and see it for yourself.

We are also available in the office to talk with you, if you have more specific questions.

Blessings to you,

Lucy

[cbollin]

I use the list in the back of the teacher's manuals to help the kids make selections for their own reading time on the MFW grid. I also use Honey for a Child's Heart and Books Children Love.

I would love to have a great resource for selecting junior high and high school books. My older kids are always wanting to pick out some new books to read, and I have trouble knowing what's appropriate for them to read. We also get gifts of books from well-meaning non-Christian relatives. I'm never quite sure about those. I try to do as much research as I can on a given book. But, lists are great time-savers. Any suggestions?

for high school: are you using the SAT prep book that MFW sells?

that has a huge list of high school reading.

-crystal

[Julie in MN]

Crystal, No, we are not using that at this time. That is a Christian resource, correct?

Does it include any modern lit. selections- as opposed to classics only? That's where we run into trouble. It is much harder to make wise decisions on popular/modern lit., since I'm much less familiar with it. I haven't had much time to read in the past 15 years.

Tiffany,
I haven't seen any pre-screened lists of really "recent" lit anywhere. It's something that would have to be done yearly, I think. And for jr/sr high strong readers, this could venture over into the full range of adult publishing, I think?

Stobaugh's SAT lists have more advanced classics. MFW's manuals for grades 2-8 have lists of classics in the back, some of which could be read even by adults. The manuals also have historical fiction suggestions in the book basket lists which relate to history etc., and some are suggested for older kids. e.g. Anne of Green Gables, which could continue into the whole series of adult-sized books. Some book basket suggestions will be fairly recent literature, such as YWAM biographies and some American Girl historical fiction. And don't forget that MFW keeps archives of user suggestions on their Idea boards for each year, plus there's a Book Basket board -- those might include more modern lit suggestions. Oh, and I've even seen folks post on the boards, "Has anyone read this book?"

Another method would be to buy from publishers who have high standards, such as Bethlehem Books, or publishers who write books with strong Christian examples, such as YWAM biographies like the 7-8th grade ones that MFW uses.

At my house, by high school, I feel most of my kids' school-time literature is chosen by me as books I see value in studying. So their school reading is even more directed by me than in the elementary years. However, their independent reading (and watching, etc) on their own time becomes a little less likely to be pre-screened by me -- but more teaching them to discuss openly and learn to discern (unless they ask for suggestions, which your dd may be doing here).

Julie

[cbollin]

We are in week 4 of Ancient-Highschool, My 2 sons are liking the books so far, but really feel like there isn't much history, only lots of bible history. Although they like it and are fine with bible history, they are hoping for much more "ancienct/world" history , I hope this doesn't make us sound like a "anti-bible" history nuts...that is not what I mean...
So I thought I would maybe try adding some more history along with their current schooling to give them more of what they are interested in. We are in MN. and I think that would be a great "extra" subject--MN. History.....Any thoughts? If you have went throough this year can you give me your perspective of this?
Thanks to you all...
Kelly

ideas....

if it is ancient history they want...
use the books in the intro part for extra "historical fiction"
use streams of civilization if you still have that from ctg/rtr
it's ok to still do "book basket" if they are interested in something. do you still have your ctg manual to look for some?
Have you got to the Unwrapping Pharaohs book yet?
or using the internet linked Usborne book?


if it is MN history...
try Joy Dean's State History programs. statehistory.net

-crystal

[Julie in MN]

Kelly,
Yes, the early history is long and sparse -- just not a lot written about it. But if you look through the Usborne Encyclopedia, you'll realize that eventually they will read ALL of that -- wow!

- Another option might be reading through Streams of Civilization, if you have that around.
- The Landmark books are chapter books that are pretty historical, and I remember reading parts of the ones on Ancient Egypt (the chapter on Napoleon & the Rosetta Stone, especially). I think that was in CTG book basket, so you might check that list again, if you still have it.
- Another ancient book I remember my older dd reading (before MFW had high school) was called Greeks, A Great Adventure, by Isaac Asimov, which is secular but we found it to have a lot of history in a readable format, although I'm not sure if it's around any more?

As for Minnesota history, I listed some of our resources here, back when it was fresher in my mind:
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php ... 831#p51505
I know the Northern Lights textbook is used in most of the schools and was at my library (including the teacher guide).

Julie

[cbollin]

I'm planning on using AHL next year with 9th grade dd. I got my box a week or so ago, and after an initial panic of "no way can she do this!" I finally had time to look it over and I REALLY like what I see. I'm starting to get excited for next year! Still have to finish RtR though.

Anyway my question is about the extra literature assigned. She loves to read but is not crazy about historical fiction. She'll do fine with what is scheduled, but I'm thinking her extra reading needs to be something different. The manual just mentions using a literature list to find extra reading material if you don't want to do the historical books listed. Does anyone have any suggestions for this? I know I can find various lists online and sometimes we use the Sonlight catalog for ideas, but I would like something more concise if possible--I tend to get overwhelmed with too many choices. Thanks!

One of the suggestions has been to use the SAT prep book that MFW sells. I haven't seen the newest edition of that book (and the fact that the ACT book exists now.) I'm guessing.. and that's a dangerous thing to do on the internet... that a book list is still in that prep book. It was sorted by grade levels. It was large and pace of a novel a week. you don't have to read all of them to have some books. It's probably not as concise as you are looking for. But you could pick 7-9 novels from the list as the extras in AHL.

My oldest had read many of those titles in the historical fiction part of AHL just the year before in CTG as an 8th grader. So she got to do any book of interest. She did some favorites of her dad's. She read some books that were just popular around here with other teens in the book nerd homeschooler club at church. And, she also did the CS Lewis book that was recommended that wasn't exactly historical fiction but went along with creation theme... (then she found out it was a trilogy and had to get them all). I'm hesitant to list titles as I'm sure we have too liberal of standards for most mfw users.

-crystal

[Sheila in OK]

Thanks Crystal. I saw the C.S. Lewis book--I may check into that. I'd never heard of it before, but she loves the Narnia books and has been through them several times, as well as the Lord of the Rings and other books like that. She tolerates historical fiction but really loves fantasy. The challenge is finding enough good books that she likes while still encouraging her out of her 'comfort zone' here and there.

If you have any other ideas, feel free to pm me. We're not as conservative as some either.

[Julie in MN]

It has worked well for my son not to worry about doing historical literature. He tends to feel he gets enough during class.

The extra books he reads are often from his book club. Other times, I've had him read some scientist biographies. He's not a fantasy fan, so not sure if the books he's read would be helpful to your dd. But just wanted you to know that your plan should work fine!

Julie