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Beating the Life out of Literature (one book, many subject lessons)
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I’ve been planning for our new year recently. To do so I’ve been popping around and reading different perspectives on the CM method of education. I want to see what others interpret and how others implement CM. It gives me new energy for a new year and I always find something to try. I stubbled across an article that struck me because I felt it somehow contridicted what I might have done a time or two. What I thought might be “ok” to do under the CM philosophy. See what you think …
Unit Studies (definitions vary widely on what this really is – understood)
The discussion was located on http://www.afterthoughtsblog.net and specifically at this link: http://www.afterthoughtsblog.net/2012/10/on-herbartian-unit-studies.html. In this post the writer describes a method of approaching a living book by using it as a means to teach other subjects. Other than simply reading it for literature. For example, the parent might use it to teach a geography lesson based on the setting of the book. Or they might teach math based on a particular situation that presents itself within the pages. On and on, for a period of time. The author’s point (and one she shows Charlotte herself to make) is that to do so ruins the noble ideas of the book itself. Suggesting that this way of approaching a living book nit picks it to death and does not instill any of the very essesence of the CM methods of attention, making living books one’s own, etc.
I’m not sure I have done this often, but I know that I have done this before. I remember doing so especially with the Hollings books. I’d make all sorts of interesting (I thought) activities and extra studies (a video to watch, extra books on a particular fact presented, map exercises to hightlight where the book was taking place, art projects to emphasize something) on each of the books as we read them aloud. i really thought I was in line with CM. And maybe I still was.
I suppose it is a case of degree and balance? Does anyone else have any thoughts on approaching living books this way? Versus just sticking to the model of: 1) pre-read 2) read 3) narrate 4) grand discussion.
She mentions Five In A Row as an example of doing just this – “…while Five in a Row* has shorter units, focused on reading one book every day for five days. Each day, the book is used to illustrate a different subject {five subjects, one for each day of the week: social studies, language arts, art, applied math, and science}.”
I do remember reading Charlotte’s discussion on unit studies killing the love, lol. I don’t have a straight, quick answer to your question, as I think much of it depends on the circumstances, the student, etc. For example, I think CM teachers back in the day definitely did, say, introduce “outside” material/knowledge/facts to further understanding.
With the Holling example you gave, the map seems to go most along with that, at least the way I’m envisioning it. Having said that, I personally did a great job killing one of the Holling books (or certainly enshrouding it) a couple of years ago when, somehow “inspired” by a friend who does a popular program with mapping I decided to do something similar for the Great Lakes region and did a wonderful job through repetition and drudgery of making it into a source of dread for my children. In retrospect, the mapping idea was a decent one — but I should have approached it differently and not made it into THE LESSON (say the word boldly while hearing trumpets and fanfare in the background) with a life (nay, death) of its own.
I still do a woefully inadequate job, I feel, of enhancing a book or lesson the way I’ve read and envision some of Charlotte’s teachers doing it. But I remember feeling somewhat surprised at one point that they DID give any background or do anything more than read/narrate.
And I think part of it also depends on the interest of the child, as some wonderful tangents can be explored by the curious child whose interet is piqued. Some of those might even come up in the “grand discussion” as you call it. 🙂
I probably shouldn’t write anything when I haven’t eaten breakfast. lol This seems a collection of very random thoughts and jumping from thought to thought…thinking about deleting this post, but at least this will bump the thread. Maybe I’ll try again when my head is more in the game. 😉
Miss Mason also said something to the effect that children need to draw their own conclusions about subjects (which is demonstrated when they narrate). I believe she (or someone writing about her methods–maybe Karen Andreola?) said that with unit studies, the teacher is basically making the connections for them.
Okay, I did a little forum searching, and it was actually Sonya Shafer (you’ve heard of her, right?) who made the comments about CM and unit studies!
Here is a link to that conversation: http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/unit-studies
Well this is interesting, and the first I have read about it. Last fall, we did two chapters in the Prairie Primer for the first two Little House books and I am ready to sell it (but keep the Little House books, of course). Although we did enjoy some other books we read at the same time to go along with it, scheduling some of the extra activities took some of the joy out of it. I prefer following my own rabbit trails at the spur of the moment and taking a quick look at the wall map, rather than a geography “lesson”. I prefer oral narrations to discussion questions and worksheets. And if someone wants to learn more about a particular animal in the story, we find a book on it and it is a delight since natural curiosity prompted it, not because we need to fill out a worksheet on it.
I’ve struggled with this idea lately also. I often feel this need to add exra activities to the books we read or history modules. I’m not sure if its them or me that is desiring more “excitement”. I think the post you listed mentioned the difference between educating and entertaining. Sometimes I get caught up on making it fun and we don’t do the basic narrations which are so important. Yet I wonder if my 8 year old is a “hands on” learner. I also like to try to bring the younger ones into the subject areas by doing these extra activities, but it creates a lot more work for me. This year I am hoping to resist the urge to go crazy with extra activities.
I wonder if this is different, but sometimes after we read a book we have really enjoyed having a “family party” with the book theme. For example we are almost done reading James and the giant peach. We plan to have some kind of peachy dessert and my daughter has been drawing some of the bug characters to display. This will be a good time for them to tell their dad about the book and make some special memories around the book. This type of thing seems to make reading exciting for our 5 year old. Any thoughts about that?
Good point @wings2fly. I’m kind of like that too. Yes, @andream, I do think there is something to this idea of “the literature itself is enough” versus our pestering need to keep making it more in some fashion. At the end of one of these “extras” I never feel like they added much … but sometimes the kids seem thrilled with their work. Hard to be definitive. And maybe that’s the point? CM isn’t set entirely in stone, right? The argument is that a notebook page, a drawing, a family themed celebration, etc. are all ways of narration?
Honestly, my oldest is the one who kind of pushes me in this direction. I’m not sure I’ve challenged her enough and she’s very aware of what other kids her age are doing in their studies (which are mainly CC) and so I get the feeling she thinks more is needed. That’s a challenge.
My approach has been to print out discussion questions (open ended, you decide) and let her read those over as she goes through a piece of literature. I even asked her to jot down her own discussion questions, if she didn’t see something she’d found interesting addressed. We shall see … ha! I feel some days like that is my schooling motto!!
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