Reading: Ages 15+
'Overteaching' and
Avoidance
Keep Kids From
Classics
Today's Snack:
Since we're talking about the classics of kids' literature, let's have the
classics of after-school snacks: graham crackers and milk!
--------------------
Supplies:
You might consider ordering this
book as a guide:
Invitation to the Classics,
http://www.amazon.com/Invitation-Classics-Always-Wanted-Masterworks/dp/080106810X/ref=sr_1_7?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285704273&sr=8-7
One
reason many schools aren't making teachers teach the classic books is that they
feel the vocabulary, historical references, mega-themes and complex
characterizations of the great books are too difficult and intimidating for
both teachers and students. So they don't teach Great Books at all.
At the other extreme are the many schools that expect a
teacher to help kids quickly master the unfamiliar vocabulary, settings and
themes of great books. That's unrealistic, on top of the higher-order thinking that's
prized in literature classes these days: analysis, comparison, synthesis and other
intensive thought processes. It amounts to overcomplicating the reading process
and "overteaching" the students.
But classic books are really not that "hard" to read, if
you're just reading them instead of studying every word.
And
there's more than enough meat in the average classic book to give a student plenty
of intellectual stimulation without getting bogged down in overcomplicating the
reading process.
It's time for a return to literal reading of great
literature. Maybe the time and place is after school, in the evenings and on
weekends - reading on their own, just for pure enjoyment and the lifelong
learning that the classic books provide.
Give
the teenagers the books, and let them just read them. Test them, if you will, on
the facts of what they read: the big points of plot, character, setting and theme,
to make sure they understand the book on the literal level.
But
let's quit getting bogged down in the "study your navel," microscopic book
analysis that has caused so many high-school students to hate reading.
We should quit wasting teachers' time, and confusing
students, with all the college-level analysis that's so popular in high schools
today. And those schools that have shied away from classics out of fear that
they're too "hard" for kids need to return, immediately. Both of these extremes
are keeping our teens and young adults from the important stories of all time.
Look at Shakespeare -- every one of his plays was a
retread of what were then familiar tales. Every other word wasn't a symbol of
something else. He didn't make the audiences stop and analyze why his
characters were doing what they were doing; the show just went on, the audience
was relaxed, and immersed in the wonderful wit and wisdom of Shakespeare's
language mastery, they gained priceless benefit from the stories.
Here what David Mulroy, a classics professor at U. of
Wisconsin says about teaching Great Books:
"The complexity of the Great Books also clarifies
the teacher's role in a Great Books course. It is to make sure that the
students understand the book on the literal level. . . . I have never known a
student who actually mastered the literal facts of the text (The Iliad, in the particular instance)
without also experiencing obvious intellectual stimulation. As a Great Books
teacher, I help the students master the facts, then stand back and savor their
reactions."
This is true for young children reading, say, The Story of Doctor Dolittle or Winnie-the-Pooh. The literal facts,
familiar or unfamiliar, are what matters.
Not any interpretive scheme -- "lateral thinking/exploration of
alternatives" -- devised or encouraged by an adult.
Just the facts, ma'ams and sirs!
Best of all, you should be able to check out classic
literature from any school or public library and read them for free. There are
even many new editions with larger fonts and more illustrations for your
reading enjoyment.
