READING AND TEACHING FLANNERY O’CONNOR
American South. Her stories are popular examples of Southern Gothic literature, and they explore Southern life, manners, alienation, the grotesque, and religion.
In this post, I lay out some background for reading Flannery O’Connor’s stories. I also give a few questions for a handful of O’Connor’s stories that can lead to reflection, discussion, and essays. Not only could this information serve as fruitful instruction for your student(s), I recommend her stories to anyone looking for literature that is packed with dark humor and thought-provoking themes.
PREPARING FOR THE SAT ENGLISH SECTIONS: PART TWO
PREPARING FOR THE SAT ENGLISH SECTIONS: PART ONE
TEACHING THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA: PART TWO
When teaching a work of literature in class or with your homeschooled child, it helps to have a work that is approachable in terms of length, plot, vocabulary, and sentence structure–a challenge is good, but it’s best not to scare away shy readers! As talked about in “Teaching The Old Man and the Sea: Part One,” Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea offers this sort of accessibility. But it also provides a clear approach to strong themes and meaningful symbols that illustrate those themes.TEACHING THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA: PART ONE
Teaching a longer work of literature to teenagers comes with its challenges: avoiding spoilers, keeping students interested for weeks, and fearing that the students are running to the comfort of quick online summaries.
One simple approach is to stick with shorter novels that are accessible yet packed with material for teaching. One novel I have had great success with is The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. From the accessibility of the text to the relatability of themes, I have used this novel with teenagers of different ages in various settings.
WRITING THE COLLEGE ESSAY
WHY READ FICTION?
Different readers have different reasons for reading. Some people cannot go a day without reading. Others only read because their teacher assigned it for class.
After reading through studies, articles, and ideas about reading fiction, I’ve put together a quick list of reasons to read fiction.
ACT READING SECTION
The Reading section of the ACT has four passages. You will be asked 40 questions to be answered in 35 minutes. There are various types of questions that will be asked:
- Main Idea questions that ask about the passage as a whole.
- Inference and writer’s view questions that ask you to understand something that isn’t directly stated in the passage.
- Detail questions that ask about specific parts of the passage.
- Vocabulary-in-context questions that ask about a word as it is used in the passage.
- Function questions that ask about the purpose of a specific part of the passage.
To tackle all of this, you just need to be quick and methodical. Below are some tips to help you approach this section of the ACT.
THE ACT ENGLISH SECTION
On the ACT, there are three ‘English-related’ sections: English, Reading and Writing. As you prepare for the test, you should keep a few things in mind that will help you get a higher score. Let’s look at the English section today.
WRITING IN NATURE
On a clear day last month, I took a group of young writers outside. With paper and pen in hand, we spread out to write—one went into a small wooded area, a few sat in the grass, another climbed up a large oak, and a couple of them sat at tables under trees.
Nature is a good place for a writer—young or experienced—to begin. To get you started on your outdoor writing adventure, here are some ideas.
WHY WRITING IS IMPORTANT
Posted on January 16, 2017
Writing well is an important skill when your English essay is due. It’s also important if you wish to pursue a career in journalism, editing, or content writing. However, writing well has many benefits, and a list from Marquette University tells us what makes writing so important.
HOW AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM IS CHANGING A PERUVIAN COMMUNITY
“The goal of my job,” Carlos says, “is to help a community that is heavily dependent on its environment but don’t understand what or why things are happening around them. One of the projects I have launched in my community is a free education program by way of environmental videos and lectures, where I coordinate the screening of science documentaries.”
FILM ADAPTATIONS OF LITERATURE–PART TWO
Posted on January 7, 2017
We might find that our “books-to-read” list is getting long or our child’s patience with reading is getting short. Reading is essential to a solid education and to becoming a strong writer, but we can give our young readers (and ourselves) a “break” without losing all the benefits of reading a book.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING IN A COUNTRY WHERE YOU DON’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE
Not knowing the language of a country that you’re visiting is not unusual. Many people love to be in new countries and experience new cultures, and traveling is an invaluable addition to one’s education—but we can’t simply pick up a language in a few weeks or even months. However, we shouldn’t let these language barriers prevent us from exploring the world around us.
IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH GRAMMAR BY LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Posted on December 31, 2016
Learning a foreign language draws our focus to the mechanics of language: grammar, conjugations, idioms, and sentence structure. If we want a better hold of English and we want to improve our reading and writing skills, we should remember the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.”
TIPS FROM A LINGUIST: HOW TO BE A BETTER WRITER
Posted on May 2, 2016
Writing well can be challenging, and the work is sometimes intimidating. In an effort to make the process easier for all of us, Eric Barker of Time reached out to Steven Pinker to talk about the rules and science behind good writing.
WRITING IDEAS
Posted on April 23, 2016
Finding a topic isn’t always easy. There are many strategies for comingup with ideas based on a particular subject—brainstorming, freewriting, and mapping are all great ways to think of ideas for an essay.
FILM ADAPTATIONS OF LITERATURE
Posted on March 25, 2016
Nothing can replace reading a great book. But watching a good film adaptation might be 
the next best thing.
It’s also a great way to write about literary elements such as theme, plot, and character without reading a book. When crunched for time—or when your “books-to-read” list has grown too long—watching a movie can provide a fabulous source for writing and critical thinking. Just as we write literary analysis, we can write film analysis.
However, watching a film adaptation can either be a great experience or a letdown. How many times have you heard or said “The book was better”? To help you choose a film for you or your child to watch, here are list of great movies adapted from young adult and children’s books.
PUNCTUATION HABITS OF AUTHORS
Posted on March 9, 2016
Ernest Hemingway loves the period. Jane Austin loves the comma. Meanwhile Cormac
McCarthy ignores everything but the comma, period, and question mark.
STUDY FINDS THAT HOMESCHOOLERS GET MORE SLEEP; SUGGESTS A LATER START IN THE MORNING FOR TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS
Posted on March 7, 2016
Study finds that homeschoolers get more sleep; suggests a later start in the morning for tradition
al high schools
In a recent study, researchers determined that teenagers who are homeschooled benefit from healthier sleep habits than those who go to private and public schools. The findings of the study provide additional evidence of teens’ altered biological clocks and support an argument for starting traditional high school later in the morning.
AN EXCELLENT SOURCE FOR LITERATURE
Posted on March 6, 2016
A website simply named “American Literature” has a lot to offer. The site consists of lists like “Short Stories for Middle Schoolers” and a page of “American Literature Classics Library.”
Lux Writing Center 