Do I Sense a Theme Here? – Literature Studies for Teens
I’m guest posting again on Bright Ideas Press! This time I’m sharing tips for identifying the theme of a story. Here’s a little teaser, but make sure to hop on over to read the full article.
When kids are little, it's so easy to use stories to bring to life some challenging ideas. You read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie as a fun way to introduce natural consequences or cause and effect. Additionally, you might read The Giving Tree to talk about the selfishness of the young boy or the sacrificial love of the tree. It's easy to see the themes in children's literature and share them with our young children. Why is it that we don't capitalize on this same idea with our teens?
Naturally, the themes in the books that they read as they grow up become harder to define, because they are less obvious to the reader. It takes time to work and think in order to draw out the deeper ideas. Often students walk away from a book "bored" not because it wasn't a very good book, but because it was too hard to enjoy on their own. That is why we have to keep having conversations about books with our teens.
Click here to continue reading.
This post is part of a series of posts about Literature Studies for Teens. Read other posts here:
- Unlocking the Plot: Literature Studies for Teens
- Asking Questions About Setting: Literature Studies for Teens
Betsy Strauss is an unexpected homeschooler, mother of three, who is in a relationship with a sweet man for life. She loves reading books, drinking coffee, and learning anything with her kids.