The Chronicles of Narnia

[gini1313]

My 6 year old and I just finished reading this series together. He adored the books and we really had fun reading them.

I am a sort of unschooly sort of person and we are so far kind of relaxed, ecclectic homeschoolers I would like to do some "learning" kind of activities based on Narnia/the series with him. Any links or suggestions? I am just drawing a blank on this one. I was thinking of starting with a lap book, but we have never done one and I don't really know where to start with it...

Any suggestions? Also, any other series you can suggest for us to read next?

Thanks!!!!

[yippityskippity]

I'm not sure about Narnia specifically, but one project I want to start with 6yo DD is a reading log. After we finish a book she can draw a picture or two and write (or dictate to me) a few sentences about her impressions of the story. I think it will make a nice record of our year(s) in books

Homeschool share has some lapbooking stuff for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe here.

[pigpokey]

Narnia is intentional Christian allegory. So if you're Christian, boom, you've got plenty to work with. If you aren't, the concept of the special powers of willing sacrifice is quite common. Harry Potter's got his own walk to the Stone Table. You will find it in L'Engle's Time Quintet. So that is something you could explore.

I find the Book of Virtues and the Moral Compass books, which have stories, poems and essays arranged by moral subject, very handy. You could re-read the Chronicles, and when a theme is brought up, go on a side-reading to that theme.

This was fun. Commercial but fun.

http://www.narniaexhibition.com/

[Geerbabe]

If you go to the narnia exibition website and click on the top right corner you can download an educator's guide. It has some fun activities that would be good for anyone studying MEDIEVAL HISTORY right now. There is a page where you can design your own castle and label all the parts and another page where you design your own heraldic device, with some good explanations of what the different symbols and colors mean.

[gini1313]

Thanks for the suggestions... I have searched on line alot, but most of the stuff I have found it for older/more advanced kids than he is.

We are not Christian, but do plan on doing some religious studies with him, and I did recognize that these books would be a good place to start (although, strangely, I didn't realize that in the millions of times I read them as a kid myself, lol)... I guess I am a little stuck on how to approach religious studies from our (agnostic) perspective, since I haven't really ever taken any religious studies classes myself (except sunday school when I was about ds' age)...

I will check out the exhibition site...

[Lillian J]

You could make some Turkish Delight! Lillian

[justthinkn]

The book about the nephew, the creation of Narnia... Natural tie-in to biology, animals, how the world began stuff - not necessary to do so from a religious angle

You could also talk about writers - the friendship between Lewis and Tolkien, for instance - tie in to the Hobbit? Tolkien has a beginning of the world story in Silmarillion, too.

Was it Lewis or Tolkien trained in classical mythology? Another jumping off point...

[pigpokey]

In one of Lewis's nonfiction books, maybe Surprised by Joy, he describes being home schooled by his mom with great success and joy until she died when he was about 9 and his dad packed him off to school. It was a negative experience that makes most modern school dysfunctions look like great successes by comparison. Anyway a read-aloud from these descriptions of Lewis's early years may be enjoyed by a devoted 6 year old fan.

[Momma Aimee]

http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/20...ing-4th-grade/

that blog has math fun based off the books -- i am not sure -- i believe there is math on differnt levels.

Aimee

[ikesmom]

You could try to make a diorama..use a cardboard box made flat and draw Narnia trees and the Professor's house with wardrobe ect..have him help draw or color it in. You could print out cut-outs and let him make his own idea of the forest or animals. I bought the action figures at Target in the clearance isle when we read the books. Both boys played while I read..reenacted scenes . I didn't realize how much my youngest retained until we were at the store looking at Halloween Costumes..he wanted to see the white witch costume..then he started telling parts of the story as I pushed him around in the cart.

[Lillian J]

I just have to interject something from my own experience with books - my son would not have found it fun to end up doing lessons from material that came from the reading of those wonderful books. I'd suggest proceeding very cautiously in pulling lessons from any captivating books. In fact, knew a woman who had a popular catalog for homeschoolers with all sorts of wonderful books and materials, and she told me she adamantly refused to carry the books that provided lessons made from aspects of the Little House on the Prairie books because she didn't "want to ruin the books for the children." To extend the enjoyment of reading them, I'd turn more to things like making Turkish Delight, making a model of the Dawn Treader - here's a page of links to activities and crafts having to do with Narnia. Lillian

[gini1313]

Well, we don't actually do "lessons" lol, so I guess I don't have to worry about that. That links page looks like what I was looking for, although I think doing stuff like that would be better when we are actually reading the books, not afterwards. He is totally moved onto different stuff (we are currently reading Inkheart), so I saved that page to use the next time we read the books.

Thanks

[zinemama]

If you're not Christian, I would advise not clueing him in on the allegorical aspects, but letting him figure it out for himself once he gets older.

A little OT, but a really good book by someone who loved the Narnia books as a child, felt betrayed by the Christian theme when she recognized it as a teen, then returned to the books as an adult is The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia by Laura Miller.

[greenthumb3]

Haven't read through the thread yet, just responding quickly...
you and he might enjoy Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, it's a series with 4 (soon to be 5) books and they are fantasy, geared for children much the way Narnia is, and interesting enough for adults. There are questions to enhance discussion at the end of the novels that could get everyone thinking about the book. The author does a good job with them.

How about asking him what his favorite parts are in the stories?
My kids like to "act out" their favorite parts of the story. We have a clothes closet they pretend is a magical wardrobe. Why not act out the favorite parts? Imaginative play! You could even make a short movie together! Or invite him to create some art that depicts what he likes or remembers from the stories.

[gini1313]

Originally Posted by greenthumb3

Haven't read through the thread yet, just responding quickly...
you and he might enjoy Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, it's a series with 4 (soon to be 5) books and they are fantasy, geared for children much the way Narnia is, and interesting enough for adults. There are questions to enhance discussion at the end of the novels that could get everyone thinking about the book. The author does a good job with them.

Thanks for the suggestion. That sounds like something he would like, so I just requested it from the library (although we still have two, I think, more books to finish the series we are currently reading ) I am just happy he likes to read as much as his dad and I do!!! It has been really fun being able to read books with him that I enjoy as well, instead of just picture/baby books!!!