Our family has a fond affection towards good books. I try to fill our bookshelves full of good books as well as check them out from the library. Have you ever checked out the literature guides from Progeny Press?
Progeny Press has been a family owned and operated company since 1992. They produce high quality literature guides from a Christian worldview ranging from lower elementary years through high school. They literally have 100+ guides and add 3-6 new titles each year ranging from lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school. They have got you covered! We received a downloadable interactive PDF copy of the study guides for the novels The Hobbit and Treasure Island. Literature guides make reading even more enjoyable!
At Progeny Press we are committed to teaching good cultural literature, examined from a Christian perspective. We believe in the equation "Biblical Truth + Cultural Relevancy = Effective Christians." Take away biblical truth and Christians become no more than a religious subculture-- salt without saltiness. Take away cultural relevancy and Christians become isolationists with no impact on the world-- lights hidden under bushels. We believe in looking at the world clearly and openly with the Bible firmly in hand.
~ from the website
The suggested length of time for finishing a study guide is 8-10 weeks, however you can adjust this on your reading voracity. The first week is used to read the book and then each study guide takes the reader through two chapters of the novel at a time and focuses on several different literary concepts. Vocabulary is addressed in many ways to make sure the reader has a full grasp. First students are required to define several words, determine word meaning from its context and then double check their guesses in a dictionary. Vocabulary words and definitions are also presented to be matched and there is a vocabulary activity in multiple choice format. Using a thesaurus to study definitions is also taught.
Our purpose is not to bring you only "safe" fiction, but to teach literature that is well-written and that will help students develop and refine how they deal with man's philosophies in relation to God's word. Progeny Press examines literary terminology and technique in good, cultural literature to equip students for understanding the craft of writing and to enhance their joy of reading. With these things in mind, we promise to bring you good literature, provide good literary analysis, and measure it by the light of scripture. ~from website
Also included are several comprehension questions which ask the student to recall events from the book and analyze them. Literary devices such as similes, synonyms, foreshadowing, hyperboles, juxtaposition,metaphor, personification, and idioms are reviewed and how they are presented and used in the text are studied. Character studies include studying personalities, reactions to events, and events in general in light of Scripture passages relevant to the storyline. I love that each guide takes care to draw the student back to the Bible.
As you can see each guide includes a variety of elements, depending on the level of the study. Check out the sample of the types of questions and information contained in the guides at the website. To make navigation on the website easier, literature guides are categorized by both genre and grade-level. The guides are extremely user-friendly and are currently available as a print version, CD in PDF format, and email as a PDF attachment.
We used the Hobbit as a family read aloud and discussion. While some of the parts were a little over the head of my younger girls I feel they still were able to learn and enjoy the story. Bilbo has become quite the character in our house and the girls have even started to take their own journey for a golden ring. Madison read Treasure Island independently and worked on the questions in the literature guide. Some of them she had trouble with but overall she had a great experience and enjoyed the book.
We enjoyed our literature guides and have purchase several guides in the past and will be purchasing more in the future. The new interactive format allows the student to type in the answers directly on their computer screen which is awesome! I also love that there is no limit on copying pages for use within our home/school. Progeny Press Guides are economically priced from $10.99 to $27.99. Be sure to browse the online catalog for individual pricing on all the available guides. Our family finds that literature guides make reading even more enjoyable! After reading through the Hobbit and completing the literature guide the girls and I are going to be watching the movie this weekend.
Check out what my Crewmates thought by clicking the banner below. Several books were reviewed by different members of the Crew.
Company ~ Progeny Press
Product ~The Hobbit Study Guide & Treasure Island Study Guide
Price ~ $18.99 & $16.99
Ages ~ Hobbit (9th-12th), Treasure Island (5th-8th)
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