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Elizabeth
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| Posted: July 30 2006 at 3:40pm | IP Logged
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I'm hoping Margot will drop by and tell us more about Novel Inquiries. I did find a very thorough review. I guess I'm intrigued by the study guides and I'm thinking they'd be great for my 11yo, who is a capable reader, a very bright child, but a reluctant reader. How would this fit into a year's curriculum? Does it stand alone pretty well? Would you require more reading than this?
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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margot helene
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| Posted: July 30 2006 at 7:37pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for asking Elizabeth! The current volumes of Novel Inquiries include guides for 4 novels dealing with Ancient Cultures bound together in one book. We have another set in the works for novels set in or about the time period from birth of Christ to end of the Dark Ages (I think that is the range – not done with those yet.) My personal philosophy has always been “do” fewer books well, so we recommend one in depth book study per quarter. I would still require other reading, but not in depth analysis of it.
Discussion is the basis for the guides and their study questions focus on inference as opposed to literal comprehension. My brand of literary analysis is not so much looking at plot and character as ends in themselves, but as signposts to the theme. Discussion of the author’s purpose and the themes found in the works is primary. There are questions for each chapter but they are mostly intended to spark discussion, not as writing assignments. Writing is used as vehicle for thinking and as a way to articulate discoveries made while reading. The method is: read . . . discuss . . . reflect . . . write.
If you go to this page at my website, you can see an explanation of the thinking behind the guides. You can also purchase the titles in the Novel Inquiries books separately to fit your particular reader. Now I have to post this and see if I answered all your questions.
margot
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ALmom
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| Posted: Aug 01 2006 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth,
I just purchased the Novel Inquiries and also some of the idividual guides. I have managed, now, to look through them pretty thouroughly. I am impressed.
The one thing not included in the Novel Inquiries that include Peralandra is an AK. I understand why this is done and the author explains this thouroughly. Still I'd love to have a few more bullets to say things like be sure to look at and discuss this (for instance in the area where you are asking questions about faith, etc., I'd like to be reminded of any doctrine I might miss or have some of the heretical ideas that the tempter uses explained in light of the faith instead of just leaving me with a question to discuss the fallacy of the arguement). However, there is enough guidance for me to pull out what I need to do to discuss with the child and there is a summary per chapter for the teacher as well as references to the CCC and other documents.
Since I have not used it yet, I must put a caveat on my post. I'll know more how easy it really is after this coming year. However, it does look very good with lots of help on how to give writing prompts, how to assess work, some sample writings and how they were graded and suggested activities and writing assignments.
You may want to wait for someone who has already used the material and has done more project oriented type learning than we have so you are pulling in feedback from someone whose "school" might look more like yours. However, for whatever help it might be, it does look very good to me.
Janet
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margot helene
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| Posted: Aug 04 2006 at 8:09pm | IP Logged
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ALmom wrote:
The one thing not included in the Novel Inquiries that include Peralandra is an AK. Janet |
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Hi Janet,
Many people have voiced the same concern! For me, the answer key business is tricky. I did relent and try to write some. I do have one for the Julius Caesar if you want it. But for the two Lewis books, I felt like I would have almost every answer be "answers will vary" so I gave it up. I hope I gave enough summary of each chapter with my thoughts about it to help with Perelandra.
But . . . Till We Have Faces is so deep and complex that I wasn't sure how to guide the responses. If you have particular questions or come up with particular problems, I would love to discuss them with you. I discussed that books at length with a good friend of mine, who had used it in a girl's reading group, before writing the guide. That was a great discussion!!! I'm dying to get that new book from Ignatius that goes over all of Lewis' works. He has one chapter on Till we Have Faces.
Please do write me with your comments about it once you've tried it out!
Margot
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andibc
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"But . . . Till We Have Faces is so deep and complex that I wasn't sure how to guide the responses."
There is a discussion guide for "Till We Have Faces" now? Where is it on the site. I was planning on doing that with 15 dd this year.
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ALmom
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| Posted: Aug 06 2006 at 12:12pm | IP Logged
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Margot:
I do think there is enough for us to go on as you did give many references - and I know I would not have been able to discuss this book with dd without your guide. Well worth it - that is for sure!!! I'd rather see what you did than "answers will vary"  . I actually managed to read the whole book with your study guide - and I'm a whole lot better off than I was and never would have understood Peralandra at all without your guide! I actually got excited about a science fiction book!
I am very, very excited about our upcoming year and really appreciate this - and love the idea of asking a question here if I'm really stuck. The book is very, very deep and science fiction is generally not my cup of tea. I do like this book, but would not have wanted dd to read it without us discussing it. It fits so perfectly with our Ancient History study (we are starting with Bible/Church history and putting into the context of secular history) so this is a perfect literature read while we are reading Genesis for theology and history and your study guide brings so much to the table.
Just realized now - you are the same person as the hillside person.  I'm slow - and this past couple of months has been crazy - got a credit card bill that wasn't correct and spent hours going from one machine to another trying to sort it out before finally talking to a live person, plus dh was out of town trying to see what was going on health wise with his dad, and I'm supposed to start school Monday (Wednessday is when the public schools here start), had to do a drive to the eye doc (3 hours away) on my own since dh was out of town then and this always makes me panicky as I get lost so easily and cannot watch traffic and street signs at the same time (turns out my mom came along as navigator so it was fine - should have simply been calm)and this at least explained why I was having so much trouble with my eyes - my astigmatism correction was at the wrong angle and all during that time I've been trying to read all my dd high school lit and history before school starts (a way too ambitious project to begin with but very difficult with funny eyes!) and realizing my plans aren't down yet and I hardly feel ready - (We are still overcluttered, unplanned, off schedule and I need a break so panic is setting in) I think we'll delay the start of school a few days and have some RR with dad before plunging forth.
Anyways, I diverge - but I think I bought most of your study guides and will be keeping that site on my check frequently because I really, really like what I do have!
I get so excited when I see things like this from the Catholic point of view - and yes finding things that help dc infer are much needed. It has been my biggest gripe agains most study guides I've seen. Most things are cut and dry recall type questions with set right and wrong answers. What you do is definitely different, and this is so needed, imho, and I am so happy to see this. I've referred several people in our homeschool groups to hillside now!
Oh, by the way, whoever asked about Till We Have Faces - it is in the same Novel Inquiry set as Peralandra. There are 2 other works in there as well, so you do get a whole lot for your money!
Next time I order, though, I'll unwrap the shrink wrap  .
Janet
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margot helene
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| Posted: Aug 06 2006 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
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ALmom wrote:
Margot:
What you do is definitely different, and this is so needed, imho, and I am so happy to see this. I've referred several people in our homeschool groups to hillside now!
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Thanks Janet!!
next time I'll unwrap the shrink wrap
LOL - maybe it was your eye problem to blame!! Thanks for returning the extra guides with your check. I do hope the guides are a real help!
I would definitely make your school start date a week later!!! 
andibc wrote:
"But . . . Till We Have Faces is so deep and complex that I wasn't sure how to guide the responses."
There is a discussion guide for "Till We Have Faces" now? Where is it on the site. I was planning on doing that with 15 dd this year. |
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Wasn't it your idea in the first place !! Well at least Perelandra was for sure. We sell the titles from Novel Inquiries separately on the same page, just scroll down. Let me know if you want it as a pdf because it isn't a huge one.
Margot
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Novel Inquiries
