Alternative for burgess books.

[kzacarkim]

Hi ladies,
I have been using HOD and loving it but I really didn't enjoy the Burgess books (gasp!) I know there are a lot of Burgess books lovers out there and I don't mean to offend anyone, but my son and I did not enjoy it when we did LHFHG. English is not my first language, and I had some trouble with the language in the Burgess books. We did go through it and he improved a lot on his listening skills, but as I think of future plans, I would like to do something different for storytime with my middle son. What else could I use so I could reap the same benefits and try to adapt the activities to another book series? I love HOD and don't even want to look at anything else because we have been so blessed by it.
Thank you ladies for your input!

[abrightmom]

Hello Karla,

Alright, well, I will confess that our family really loves the Thornton Burgess books. A lot. So, it's hard for me to wrap my mind around not liking them. However, with a language barrier I can see how it could be a challenge. Also, I think the age of the kiddo listening to the books may have an impact on enjoyment. It does take a bit of maturity in order to listen to chapter books with very few pictures and a bit of old fashioned jargon. My daughter is 6y9m and is just starting Little Hearts for His Glory. She places beautifully in Beyond but there are many things in LH that I want for her and one of those is the benefit of building listening, narration, and comprehension skills via the Burgess books and activities. She will simply use the right side skill work in Beyond and still be fabulously placed for moving from guide to guide over the years. Is there a possibility that your oldest was simply not ready for Burgess? I know you said you had difficulty with them so perhaps that was not the case. I'm thinking out loud....

Honestly, I've been chewing on this for a few days and can't really come up with a good alternative that will achieve the skills in the Storytime box within LHFHG. You will have to simply omit that box and choose your own Storytime books based on your preferences and come up with your own skill based follow ups Or, wait awhile on LHFHG and see if using it a bit older will make a difference.

[psreit]

We have also enjoyed the Burgess books. Even with the learning struggles my dd has, she enjoyed and seemed to understand the language. There have been others who said they didn't care for them, and English WAS their first language. With any curriculum, as with almost anything in life, there will always be something we don't paarticularly care for. I'll be honest and say that, in Bigger, I am not really enjoying Science in Colonial America. But, I don't let on to my daughter that I feel this way. I'm sure there are those out there that are really fascinated with the book. There are parts that have interested me, but then there have been parts that I just have had a hard time relating to, because I'm not interested in areas of science, like electricity. But, I feel that even though it may not interest me, maybe there will be something that clicks with my dd. We all have our preferences, but in this case, since you stated that you don't want to even look at anything but HOD, I would encourage you to read them to your ds#2. Maybe he will like them. As the pp said, if you don't use them, you will have to come up with your own storytime books and follow-ups. I'm just giving my opinion.

[kzacarkim]

Thanks girls for the responses. . I do understand that in a curriculum there might be something that I don't like. It is hard to please everyone . Also, I never let my son know that I didn't enjoy it and always tried to look enthusiastic about it. He did like Reddy Fox, but really didn't care about the other ones. I guess I'll give it a try with my other son when the time comes and see what happens. I still would like to have some suggestion on other titles, just in case.
Thanks,
Karla

[Carrie]

Karla,

This past thread may be of help to you as you ponder trying the Burgess books again. Make sure to read to the end of the linked thread, as Dorla came back and posted an update 4 months later. Link: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=126

Since the Burgess books are so closely tied to so many skills in the Storytime box, there aren't going to be any alternate titles we can suggest that will go along with the LHFHG plans and cover the skills needed. If you can just keep plugging away at the readings, knowing that the skills are really the important thing, then you will have a much easier time of it.

Different readings appeal to different listeners, so while not everything that you read may appeal to your listeners, everything that you read does have a specific purpose that goes along with it. Oftentimes getting the skill is the focus. You can easily choose other books to read aloud at bedtime or at lunchtime for enjoyment.

Who knows? Your child may even be one of the kiddos who eventually learns to enjoy the Burgess books. They have a great vocabulary and are of a higher listening level, so they definitely challenge a listener!

Blessings,
Carrie

[school4princesses]

Hi Karla,

I just thought I'd mention that some kids just have a hard time sitting and listening. For some, the cuddle time on the couch is enough to open their ears. Two of my four could handle that, but the other two could not. So I try to mix things up. For my DD that I am reading Burgess to right now, she has a special notebook and special colored pencils that she uses only during storytime. She usually will draw a picture of the characters in the book. Sometimes, her picture has nothing to do with storytime. I always try to read with lots of inflection and create different voices for the different characters. Another idea is to go to Librivox.org and listen to the stories online. Most of the Burgess books are available there. Other days, you can tell them they are going to be one of the characters and have them act out what they are hearing. This works best if you have other kids around to be the other characters. For a kid who likes action, and has a hands-on learning style, variety is the spice of storytime.

Blessings.

[kzacarkim]

Thank you Carrie and Jennifer for the suggestions! I have researched everywhere and could not find anything that will fulfill the same purpose of the Burgess books. I surely try it with my son. Even though the story time was a little bumpy with my older son, he did grow in his listening skills and is blossoming in Beyond. A few day ago I started looking at some material for my younger son's K (even though that's a year away ), and he saw his old LHFHG guide and hugged it! He asked if I was going to use it for his brother and when I said yes, he said, still hugging it, "But I still like it!! Can we do some of the activities? He holds precious memories!
I'll be writing an update when I get do do Little Hearts with my younger son!
Love in Christ

[lmercon]

Would something like this engage your child as he listens? Another thing you could do is have him use the puppets as he narrates. The anticipation of using them may cause him to listen better.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2673&p=19796&hilit= ... ers#p19847

Hth, Laura

[kzacarkim]

Hi Laura,
What an awesome idea! My son loves puppets! That will be a total hit with him!
Thanks!