Prep Work- Practicing LTW

My daughter and I have worked together on and off during her Challenge A year on LTW. Like many parents (and students), I have found LTW to be well...challenging. Sure, you follow a template but I found the 4th edition teacher and student guide difficult to understand and implement at home. As soon as the 5th edition was available I purchased it. I bought the complete set with streaming video. (Do I have to confess how many times we have misplaced an LTW dvd?)
Since the ideas of tropes and schemes were still a mystery to me, I decided to work closely with my daughter through her assignments covering the book Crispin, A Cross of Lead by Avi. This book has fulfilled the C.S. Lewis maxim so frequently quoted. I found the story to be worthy of much deeper study than what I have demonstrated in my following writings below.







I would like to share the process that I have followed for this story. It is not a perfect or pretty example but it may help guide others in the process.  OY Vey! don't look at all my spelling errors! For this book we used a combination of a kindle reader version and audible book via amazon. Since highlighting is possible but not optimal on a kindle, we took notes while we read. I started with a running list of characters and key points about each and then followed with a rough chronology of the book. I wrote out quotes that seemed to be important or created an emotional response in me.

I found it somewhat constraining as a fast reader to stop myself to record information. I have always been a fast reader with good comprehension; but I know that I gathered a lot more information taking this path than just reading straight through the book. The process of putting pen to paper to take notes also helped greatly with retention later.

 We then created an ANI together. Oh No!! We didn't accomplish 30 items! You will have to arrest us then. Many of the items in the outline could have made it to the ANI, and things like lacking survival skills could have been broken down into individual details.

All of the items so far were accomplished last week for seminar on Tuesday.






This week the job was to work on using division to deepen the content of our introductory/exordium paragraph. I found that this was much easier to understand using the new 5th edition of LTW and the new videos. Here is my rough draft outline. I still need to figure out a simile. After much thinking, I was able to get my proofs parallel.

I am sharing the rough and ugly to help you as you work with your students through this process. There are parts of me that want to run down interesting rabbit trails like comparing Crispin's cross of lead to Jesus's cross of wood or even Crispin's experience as an escaped serf to Slaves after the War Between the States. How about examining one of my favorite quotes from the book,

"Because sorrow is the common fate of man. Who then would want more? But wit and laughter, Crispin, why no one ever has enough...For mirth is the coin that brings a welcome. Lose your sorrows and you'll find your freedom." (Bear)