Excellence in Literature-TOS Review

English I: Introduction to Literature
Grades 8-12
$29 + shipping for the 132 paged print book
$27 for the e-book

Excellence in Literature - Reading and Writing Through the Classics

This is such an interesting program I enjoyed it much more then my kids did but they are in 4th and 6th grade so when they are a little bit older I think they will really LOVE it.  Since my kids are little bit too young we just worked on the short stories chapter and briefly skimmed the rest of the book.  We enjoyed all of the sensory input that Excellence in Literature gave to our stories, she includes art and music which seems to just bring everything together for a well rounded view of what you have been reading.  They start with an overview of how to read a book and then how to read fiction, poems, a comedy and tragedy, and even challenging literature which was very helpful to both of my children.  This is an EXCELLENT program and I highly recommend it.  Literature was one of my favorite subjects in jr. high, high school and college and I belive the reason is because I had a wonderful lit teacher in 8th grade that instilled a love for literature,  she taught us all about Macbeth by Shakespeare and took us to see the play and that sealed it for me, I fell in love with literature.  This program reminds me of that teacher and can help your children fall in love with literature also!


  In 2 years when Makenzie is in 8th grade I believe she will be able to follow this program easily on her on with a little help from me here and there.




Here is what's included the unit studies, I love that there is an honor's track too!

Unit 1: Short Stories 

Unit 2: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne 

Honors: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Unit 3: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

Honors: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Unit 4: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

Honors: Shirley or Villette by Charlotte Brontë 

Unit 5: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw 

Honors: Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot

Unit 6: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Honors: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Unit 7: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Honors: 1984 by George Orwell

Unit 8: The Tempest by William Shakespeare 

Honors: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare 

Unit 9: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Honors: The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan 

One of my favorite quotes

"Some books are meant to be tasted, some swallowed, and some few digested..."

Francis Bacon



Click on the link if you would like to see what other members of the TOS homeschool crew had to say about Excellence in Literatrue.

Thanks for reading,
 

The Boxcar Children #1

Kylan has been struggling with reading for the past couple of years and we've tried all different kinds of curriculum's like My Father's World, Saxon Phonics, Hooked on Phonics and just practice, practice and more practice and he still was just not "getting" it until I told him about The Boxcar Children books and I told him that he was going to read the first one to me. He did NOT like that idea and he cried and cried and said he couldn't do it but I insisted and told him I would help him out if he needed help with words and then I told that it was an adventure book because these kids get to live on their own in an old train boxcar and he wanted to know where the parents were so I said we just have to read the book and find out. He started in on the book and I quickly realized that he can read and he can read VERY well! I'm guessing that he just wasn't motivated before now or not interested or something but he finished the book and we are moving on to book #2 Surprise Island and he can't wait to see what the surprise is. We are in the middle of making a diorama of the boxcar and the children with the stream and everything. I will post when it's finished. Kylan wants to have a boxcar in our back yard but I told him we couldn't have an actual boxcar so we are going to put the tent up in the spring and him and Kenzie are going to "play" boxcar children. If you have any fun ideas regarding the boxcar series please leave comment!
I found some great printables on edHelper.com, they have a whole book report and comprehension questions for each boxcar book so it's well worth the $20 they charge for their service!