Developing Critical Reading Skills with Classic Books
Guided editions of classic books will help your teen develop critical reading skills for understanding and interpreting literature throughout high school and beyond.
Every year my daughter reads DOZENS of history and literature books in her literature-based history curriculum. Over the years she has enjoyed so many wonderful books, but we never actually looked closely at what she had read.
I knew I wanted to pass on my love of the classics to my daughter, but I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t even know the right questions to ask to help her develop critical reading skills.
Thankfully I’ve finally found a solution that has changed the entire way we approach high school literature: Guided Editions of the Classics.
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About Guided Editions of the Classics
If you’re struggling to teach literature like I was, you’ll love Guided Editions of the Classics from Telemachos Publishing. Each volume is a comprehensive, easy-to-use homeschool literature resource, all in one book.
These editions were created by a current high school English teacher who has taught the classics for over thirty years. He has also graded the AP English exam and served as a College Board consultant. His expertise clearly shines through in these guided editions.
Guided editions are available for these classics:
- Call of the Wild
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Great Expectations
- The Great Gatsby
- Anne of Green Gables
- Frankenstein
- The Scarlet Letter
- A Tale of Two Cities
- Macbeth
- A Christmas Carol
Developing Critical Reading Skills with Classic Books
When our Guided Editions of the Classics books first arrived, my ninth-grade daughter was skeptical. We decided to start with Anne of Green Gables, a book she had previously found “boring.”
By the second or third day, Kendra was no longer dreading literature time. I could hardly believe my ears when she told me that she was actually enjoying the book that she had previously disliked!
And the discussion that she had always dreaded? Now she genuinely looks forward to it. In fact, when I suggested skipping the discussion one day, she was so disappointed that we went ahead and did it anyway.
Guided Editions of the Classics has completely turned around literature time for my daughter, and I couldn’t be more grateful. This is hands down the best literature curriculum we have ever used in 20+ years of homeschooling.
Guided Reading Questions
Each of these editions contain guided reading questions in the sidebar of the book. These questions really open up new layers in the reading, and I believe this is the biggest reason my daughter is loving the classics now. It has given her a deeper understanding of things that she just skimmed over before.
The guided questions model the critical reading process for students so they can go deeper step by step. These questions are also the solution for the teacher (me!) not knowing what to ask or discuss.
I love that these questions are helping me to teach literature effectively, while also developing Kendra’s independent critical reading skills. Now we both look forward to literature time each day!
Introductory Essay
Each Guided Editions of the Classics book contains an introductory essay that is based on the editor’s experience in grading the AP English exam. This essay is designed to help students see the process for interpreting the book so they can develop a written argument well.
These writing strategies have been tested at a college prep school for more than 20 years, and have been extremely successful. Students using these writing strategies are having a 100% pass rate on their AP English exams, and a whopping 80% of these students are scoring 4s and 5s.
Student model essays and links to additional resources are also included for more help.
Footnotes and Glossary
Footnotes at the bottom of pages explain historical and literary references with which students may not be familiar. I appreciate this since it gives Kendra a better understanding while she is reading independently.
These editions also contain a full glossary of words that are used throughout the text, providing definitions without needing a dictionary.
Get Started with Critical Reading
Guided Editions of the Classics has completely changed high school literature for us. If you want to truly enjoy the classics, I highly recommend these editions.
These books are affordable to start with, but right now you can use promo code HOMESCHOOL for a 15% discount on your order.
You can also subscribe for free teaching resources from Telemachos Publishing.
