Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Progeny Press Study Guides ~ TOS Review

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I am an avid reader but my children, while they enjoy reading to an extent, do not share my passion. In an attempt to help them get the most out of the literature we chose last year we decided to take a couple weeks to really focus on 1 or 2 books. I had decided to use Progeny Press Study Guides. This year I was given a chance to use one of their high school guides and to check out their new interactive PDF formats. All of the study guides are now available in this new format which allows the student to type in the answers directly in the PDF document.

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Each guide comes with a full answer guide so for me it is fool proof to teach. I love that my children study literature from a Christian perspective using these guides. Each guide is meant to give a student a better understanding of classical literature through literary analysis and study of the writing process. Students consider the theme and ideas of the piece in respect to Biblical principles and then reflect on those, putting their thoughts about them on paper. You can see a sample of the types of questions and information contained in the guides at their website.

From the website:
”Progeny Press has over 100 study guides for literature, covering kindergarten through high school. Progeny Press study guides concentrate on critical thinking, comprehension, literary analysis, and Christian application. Our goal is to teach our children to think clearly, to understand literature, and to rely on scripture for truth and values, and enjoy themselves while they do it!”

We have received the following study guide for reviewing:
screwtapeimage
The Screwtape Letters Study Guide,
by Michael Poteet
For the novel by C. S. Lewis.
Novel Summary: What if hell were organized as a
fiendish bureaucracy with managers and field agents?
Meet Screwtape, upper management and uncle to Wormwood.
Hell shares no love, but it is full of advice on the
weaknesses of humanity, and it is extremely practical.
Through Screwtape’s letters of advice to Wormwood,
Lewis wittily and sometimes painfully reveals our too human weaknesses.

Grade level: 9–12
Setting: 1930s, England & Hades
Category: British Literature; Christian
Study Guide
Booklet . . . . . . . . . . .#421 . . . . .$21.99
CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#421CD . . .$18.99
E-mail .pdf . . . . . . . . .#421PDF . .$18.99
Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#421M . . . .$27.99
Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#421B . . . .$13.99

Progeny Press Study Guides are available in four levels: Lower & Upper Elementary, MS, and HS. The literature guides are also organized by genre and grade-level, making it easy to choose a book that is appropriate.  Progeny Press Guides cost from $10.99 to $27.99. You can check out their online catalog for more information and individual pricing.

Our Thoughts:
We really enjoyed the study of this book. It has opened up so many conversations with my teenager. It has given him an excellent way to discuss adult topics with me in a non threatening or judgmental way. Don’t get me wrong, I am not judgmental and we discuss things very openly, but my son is becoming a young man. Now days if I bring up certain subjects it usually becomes a one sided discussion. So this guide has been very good for his developing adult worldview.

I also love the fact that Rebecca, one of the owners, has a new blog where you can find answers to many of your questions about teaching with their guides and Language Arts/Literature in general. I look forward to reading her advice in the future.

TOS Crew members received a variety of guides to review, be sure and click the banner at the top of this post to check those out.

Mandy

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free download of the above product in exchange for my honest opinion. My review is based on our family’s experience and may or may not reflect your own. No other compensation was received.

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