Read With The Best: American Literature

Description

You expect an excellent college-prep high school literature course to provide exposure to a comprehensive cross-section of literature, serious vocabulary study, extensive literary analysis, thorough reading comprehension coverage, and insightful writing instruction and assignments. This course delivers! With its emphasis on vocabulary and composition, it provides prep for the SAT/ACT as well as the AP Lit Exam or the Literature CLEPs. Volume 1 covers American Literature from Columbus through the troubled time preceding the Civil War. Completion of this course is the equivalent of one literature credit, one composition credit, and a ¼ credit in American history. (Isn't it refreshing to have someone recognize that literature provides historical insight?) The author has chosen to divide American Lit into two years instead of the typical one in order to provide more thorough author/works coverage, noting that many of these works provide excellent vehicles for the introductory literature and composition skills usually found in first year high school courses.

Read with the Best is coordinated with Write with the Best (by the same author, Jill Dixon). Volume 1 is occasionally referenced but Volume 2 is heavily drawn from to provide instruction and illustration for writing assignments in RWTB.

The course is organized into weekly study units which include one or more literature selections. Literature selections are taken from the Norton Anthology of American Literature although they can also be found online. These are typically whole works rather than excerpts. The study of each selection includes background information on the author/setting (student looks up); a "words to know" section that has the student determine the part of speech, provide synonyms, and use in sentences; and questions for both literary analysis and critical reading. Each week the student is challenged to "make it real." For instance: "Think of two examples of foils in literature or movies" or "Name at least one stereotype or stock character that Irving portrays in Rip Van Winkle." Writing assignments are also part of each week's study. As previously mentioned these are typically coordinated with Write with the Best. There is also a "culminating activity" weekly. These vary greatly but tend to be more hands-on and often something that will be more meaningful and fun if done in a group.

The Student Worktext is consumable and designed to provide both an excellent study tool as well as comprehensive test-prep review material. Introductory material and a weekly schedule (in the form of a checklist) communicate to the student the independent study nature of this course. Writing space for all assignments is provided although some students may prefer to complete the composition assignments on a computer program.

The Teacher's Edition is essentially a full-text answer key but also includes vocabulary and literary terms test masters (can reproduce for family) along with their answer keys. There is also a research paper checklist that can be reproduced for the student. ~ Janice

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.