Secondary School Literature
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Zeit:
Reading, comprehending and understanding are different matters - even though they all sound / look the same.
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A lot of lower primary kids have already read Animal Farm and TBISP for your info. They also can also comprehend Anne Frank, Friedrich, etc. Don't underestimate our young readers
At age 9, I already knew what Holocaust was. I also knew about Soviet Union and Communism in lower primary.
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Take an example, I read the Bible.
Do I understand the words used? No \"cheem\" words used (at least in the version I read), so I can read it from end to end and comprehend the text comfortably.
In fact, it's one of my favourite bedtime story book (found in the bedside tables of some of the hotels that I stayed in).
Clearly, I am not a Christian and the Bible is to me, similar to the Disney tales, a book filled with stories about mystery, sorcery, good vs evil kinda thing.
Would I be able to understand it the way a Christian understands or sees it? No, but I could (if I make an effort to).
The lower primary (and even lower secondary) kids are in the same shoes when confronted with such literature texts - able to read it from cover to cover but barely comprehending some of the nuances and meanings inside. This is probably why schools \"would rather 'exam prep' their kids in Literature more than trying to make them understand the 'morals' of the stories\" because the latter is so much more difficult if the kids aren't \"emotionally matured\" enough. -
floppy:
Yes, I know these are different matters, but I do not believe Sec 1 student of this generation (with access to internet, documentaries, war movies and so many library books) doesn't have the maturity to comprehend a simple book like TBISP because it's not high literature in the first place. A fast reader can easily finish in half a day or 3 hours.
Reading, comprehending and understanding are different matters - even though they all sound / look the same.Zeit:
...
A lot of lower primary kids have already read Animal Farm and TBISP for your info. They also can also comprehend Anne Frank, Friedrich, etc. Don't underestimate our young readers At age 9, I already knew what Holocaust was. I also knew about Soviet Union and Communism in lower primary.
...
Take an example, I read the Bible.
Do I understand the words used? No \"cheem\" words used (at least in the version I read), so I can read it from end to end and comprehend the text comfortably.
In fact, it's one of my favourite bedtime story book (found in the bedside tables of some of the hotels that I stayed in).
Clearly, I am not a Christian and the Bible is to me, similar to the Disney tales, a book filled with stories about mystery, sorcery, good vs evil kinda thing.
Would I be able to understand it the way a Christian understands or sees it? No, but I could (if I make an effort to).
The lower primary (and even lower secondary) kids are in the same shoes when confronted with such literature texts - able to read it from cover to cover but barely comprehending some of the nuances and meanings inside. This is probably why schools \"would rather 'exam prep' their kids in Literature more than trying to make them understand the 'morals' of the stories\" because the latter is so much more difficult if the kids aren't \"emotionally matured\" enough.
The themes are very simple to begin with (go to sparknotes), so with correct and proper intervention / guidance by an adult who is an avid reader or by a former Lit student, the student (lower Pri /Sec) can understand it reasonably well. The depth of their book reviews might differ of course. 6 year old may write '4 legs good 2 legs bad', but surely a Sec 1 student can write a better critique after acquiring some techniques like PEEL and literary devices from his Lit teacher? I cannot accept that Sec 1 child cannot comprehend a low literature text like TBISP.
Don't think too highly of this novel or over-interpret it please. Too sensationalised in my opinion. This 20-something Boyne who worked in Waterstones Dublin wrote it in 2 days, probably after watching Schindler's List, Sophie's Choice and Life is Beautiful.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/first-draft-of-the-boy-in-striped-pyjamas-took-me-two-days-1.3034687 -
floppy:
For religious scriptures, that's why you need bible studies or Sunday school teachers to guide the readers. If you do not understand, you can always google the verses (Ch + Verse) and get the interpretations online, just like you would google sparknotes to understand some lit texts.Take an example, I read the Bible.
Do I understand the words used? No \"cheem\" words used (at least in the version I read), so I can read it from end to end and comprehend the text comfortably.
In fact, it's one of my favourite bedtime story book (found in the bedside tables of some of the hotels that I stayed in).
Clearly, I am not a Christian and the Bible is to me, similar to the Disney tales, a book filled with stories about mystery, sorcery, good vs evil kinda thing.
Would I be able to understand it the way a Christian understands or sees it? No, but I could (if I make an effort to).
I think for Lit, engaging a good Lit tutor like D3@n may help too.
I'm not sure if Hercules was ever a E Lit student himself or not. If he wasn't, then sorry he is not a good tutor for his Sec 1 nephew. The reason why I understood those heavy themes was because my aunt who was damn good in E Lit from RGS came to coach me and read with me every other weekend when I was little. She borrowed a lot of novels for my siblings and I from the library. She was the right tutor, so coupled with our precocity and reasonably high reading skills, we did not have problems with The Good Earth, Anne Frank, Charlotte's Web and so on. I also understood Communism because I communicated with my PRC cousins in China via snail mail. I knew about Soviet Union because my parents taught us to 'read' the Atlas and bought us a globe in kindergarten. I also watched the news. So understanding Animal Farm wasn't that difficult.
If you bother to intervene, your child will understand those basic moral themes lah. Don't get a fright when you see your child's primary school teachers giving you photocopies of well-written book reviews and newspaper analyses by other classmates. A lot of youngsters can think, imagine and write damn well in lower primary these days. With early intervention, that is. -
Yes, it must be true…not everyone who "gets" Lit or excels in it has emotional maturity, empathy and humility.
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Zeit:
... so coupled with our precocity and reasonably high reading skills...
I think you have answered the question why the majority of students do not cope so well with the type of books chosen for Sec 1. Obviously, those without these attributes would struggle. -
slmkhoo:
Zeit:
... so coupled with our precocity and reasonably high reading skills...
I think you have answered the question why the majority of students do not cope so well with the type of books chosen for Sec 1. Obviously, those without these attributes would struggle.
Very strong sense of 'elitism', esp putting down a book like Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (terming it \"rubbish\") which I find it is not necessary in engagement, and so I shall not engage.
People if who can't see from general point of views will not be able to see the needs of the 'general' (btw, I do have a girl who can read super well and excel in English, Chinese, and Japanese, but I have never expected all my other kids or many others' kids to be like her. She belongs to the 'cream of the crop' category but so what?). -
Elitism - such a sad thing and yet so very common in our top schools these days. I deliberately sent my 2 DS to "tier 2" non-independent schools…just in case they got it into their heads that they were somehow elite. 2 X EESIS forfeited.
Not at all saying that everyone in independent/top tier schools are elitist. Just didn’t want to take any chances.
To be honest, am/was seeing some of these folks in the workforce …and getting seriously worried.
Completely off topic but couldn’t resist. Apologies
Love Literature and proud to have done it! -
Hi
I always wondered why the publishers do not produce a TYS Model answers for Eng Lit.
Btw, does anyone know of any model answers for Macbeth, Jekyll and Hyde, An Inspector calls. My trawl of the web has been futile. -
Hi,
Can anyone recommend a guide book for The Road to Memphis? -
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