You’ll love these homeschool high school literature guides which make teaching easy. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool High School for more ideas.
Though I was over the top giddy at accomplishing the feat of teaching my first son how to read, deep down I was anxious because I was already thinking about the upper grades.
The thought of teaching literature at the high school level made me feel defeated before I even started.
Many years later and after teaching all of my sons how to read well, I learned that one secret tool (not a secret anymore because you now know) to teaching literature in the upper grades is a simple, but well-thought-out high school literature guide.
Have you seen the nifty high school literature guides by Dover Publications? They are the Dover Thrift Study Editions. More on that in a minute.
I was given free books from Dover Publications and I was compensated for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off. ALL opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. When I do accept a product it’s because I’m giddy to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here. Now on to the fun stuff!
Why You Should Teach Classic Literature
First, to clear up any confusion, there is not an exact grade where reading turns to literature.
Somewhere during the middle and high school years, reading turns from learning to read to reading to learn. A big difference.
Like the early grades, classic literature plays a huge role in reading to learn.
When teaching a beginner reader, the focus is on phonics, comprehension and vocabulary.
Some of those elements don’t completely go away in the high school years, but reading to learn is about peering closer at literature.
Look at a few of the common elements of reading to learn that a high school student will want to cover.
- Understand an author’s background or biography;
- Understand an author’s message;
- Understand literary analysis; and
- Explore examples of literary terms like plot, theme, point of view and even complicated ones like similes and metaphors.
Why It’s Important to Go from Broad to Focused
Also, one more significant difference in teaching literature at the high school level is that a reader moves from being exposed to a variety of genres in the younger grades to a more focused look at one genre or time period of literature.
For example, a student will do a yearlong study of American, British or even World literature.
We recently started using high school literature guides by Dover Publications because not only did I want something that Tiny could do independently, but I wanted to contain the overflowing amount of high school curriculum.
Focusing on British literature, I was tickled that I got in my bundle the following books.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Look at some of the reasons why we are using the comprehensive study guides.
- The unabridged book and comprehensive study guide are together in one book.
- There is an analysis of the chapter.
- There are study guides with answers, thank you. I loathe extra bulk in curriculum and sometimes it’s unavoidable with high school curriculum, but an all in one book where the questions and answers are together is very useful.
- There are suggested essay topics. I love that I don’t even have to think about topics for him to write about.
- One more detail worth noting about the essays is that not only are there suggested topics, but also suggestions for the type of essay. For example, in reading The Scarlet Letter, there is a suggestion for a compare and contrast essay. Can you just say practical help for the new high school mom?
- There is a biography of the author at the beginning, which gives Tiny a fuller understanding of the story. For example, in reading Frankenstein, Mary Shelley is a young author with a lot of unhappiness early on in her life. She goes on to write Frankenstein, which is Gothic fiction and it is the early beginnings of science fiction. Did she write to console herself or to escape? Are the two reasons really any different? The guide and book together allow for some great
debateconversation with my teen. - Having used very comprehensive study guides before, I wanted something that gives me a framework instead of dissecting every literary element. Maintaining the love of reading at the high school level is paramount to the technicalities of elements. The Dover Thrift Study Editions have been just the right amount of balance for us.
Too, my roots have been classical though I love the freedom and mastery that learning through unit studies engenders.
Classic novels are a mainstay I expect my boys to cover in high school, but I love the fact too that studying a whole novel can be quickly turned into a unit study.
For example, when we read an abridged version of A Tale of Two Cities, in the early years, Tiny can draw from what he knows about studying the geography and culture of France and England.
It wasn’t necessary at that time to develop the underlying theme that no historical period will be free of serious problems.
However, now in the high school years by reading an unabridged version of A Tale of Two Cities he can connect what he knows previously and turn the book into a high school level unit study.
Focus is on the ugly side of war or the French Revolution.
Of course, for us, you know any time period we read about history has us always thinking about a unit study.
The point I’m making is that it’s so much easier making the jump to language arts, science and history when the books are classic.
Homeschool literature guides do not have to be cold, austere and overwhelming, but helpful, compact and motivating.
Not only can they teach critical thinking skills to your high school student, which helps him to dig deep to find the hidden message in a story, but study guides help you to move to the reading to learn stage of literature.
Finally, look at this short list I created. Grab one or two!
Dover Thrift Study Editions For Easy High School Literature Guides
The guides are literature and analysis in one book. the guide includes:
• Scene-by-scene summaries
• Explanations and discussions of the plot
• Question-and-answer sections
• an author’s biography
• List of characters and more
Dover Thrift Study Editions feature everything that students need to undertake a confident reading of a classic text, as well as to prepare themselves for class discussions, essays, and exams.
A charismatic politician's assassination leads to a civil war in Shakespeare's drama of ancient Rome. Written in 1599 about an event from more than 2,000 years ago, this historical play continues to captivate modern audiences with its memorable characters, poetic speeches, and profound examination of the conflicting claims of ambition, ethics, and loyalty.
Obsessed with creating life in a laboratory, a medical student haunts graveyards and dissecting rooms in search of the materials for his experiments. But when he achieves success, he rejects his ghastly creation. The creature — longing for love but shunned by all — turns evil and exacts revenge. Two centuries after its initial publication, Frankenstein endures as a synonym for "monster." The first modern horror novel as well as the first science-fiction novel, Mary Shelley's Gothic romance has intrigued generations of readers. A definitive survey, this Dover Thrift Study Edition offers the novel's complete and unabridged text, plus a comprehensive study guide.
Even those who have never read or seen Romeo and Juliet recognize the star-crossed lovers' names as symbols of forbidden romance. Shakespeare's enduring drama takes place during a sultry Italian summer, in a city already boiling with the enmity between two families. Tensions rise further when an irresistible passion develops between members of opposite sides and the play's mood alternates between hope and despair. Romeo and Juliet was among the author's most popular plays during his lifetime, and it remains one of his most frequently produced dramas. Furthermore, its youthful characters and romantic plot make it an appealing introduction to Shakespeare for younger readers.
All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. It's the best book we've had," declared Ernest Hemingway. Millions of readers around the world would agree, having climbed aboard the raft with young Huck and Jim, the runaway slave, to drift along the Mississippi on a voyage of adventure and self-discovery. This economical two-part edition includes the complete text of Twain's classic novel plus a student-friendly study guide. Created to help the reader quickly gain a thorough understanding of the content and context of Huckleberry Finn,
This sparkling tale of one of literature's most famous courtships focuses on a spirited family of sisters and their marriage-minded mother's attempts to see them well settled. Jane Austen's wit and shrewd observations elevate her tale of rural romance to the heights of the world's great literature. A timeless satire of nineteenth-century English country life and manners, Pride and Prejudice is the most popular of Austen's novels. Warmly received upon its 1813 publication, it remains universally admired two centuries years later.
Includes the unabridged text of Brontë's classic novel plus a complete study guide that helps readers gain a thorough understanding of the work's content and context. The comprehensive guide includes chapter-by-chapter summaries, explanations and discussions of the plot, question-and-answer sections, author biography, analytical paper topics, list of characters, bibliography, and more.
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