To Kill a Mockingbird
discussion
Is it appropriate to read for 6-7th graders
Dawn wrote: "Well as a teacher , I can truly say most schools will not allow it to be taught until 7th or 8th grade. This is when I taught the book which was well loved by most students but some were upset and ..."Well said Dawn.
Yes. I read it young and its still a favorite. No scars at all just a deep appreciation of the atmosphere Harper Lee achieved of time and place and season.First class writing and first class reading for all ages.
I read the book between 6th and 7th grade. It's totally appropriate and a good segway to many of the harder discussions in life that kids will begin learning about. I've read this book a few times since and each time I get more and more out of the book.
It was required when i was in middle school and after reading it, it became one of my favorites. Just because it has some strong language and some controversial content doesn't mean they should hide the greats. In truth it is mild in comparison to some of of the trash kids watch every day on TV.
I read this book in 7th grade, and I think that it does depend on your maturity level, but it is an excellent story.
The book is usually loved by all who can understand the history of our country . I am now realizing after this thread and several conversations I have been included in lately that our children are not being taught our American history or World History at a very sufficient level of understanding. Most schools in each state will also waste a great period of time learning the history of the state , then briefly touch basic topics and dates , capitals, birds, trees, etc... As projects fine, but do we really need to wastes a whole semester on State History? Our country has lost its way from the humble beginnings of The Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Big Government is becoming bigger and our children may have a fight on their hands to keep the greatness in our civil liberties and greatly honest organized government that has made America so strong. We need to start going straight into the heart of each era in our historic records that have made such big cultural changes. I believe that literature represents history and a period studied in history and then followed by reading a good representative of that time makes everything more real and amazing , thus more subtle and accepting when learning about delicate issues. You have to bring in the battle between good and evil , greed and poverty, love and hate, what is moral and ethical as human beings with historic lessons and the representations the children read . COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY! with every age or maturity level a young adult can understand more than you can imagine in feelings that they need to talk about because they feed on the anxiety and tension around the environment. Grades may not show those minds clicking a certain outcome on paper , but if you grasp their attention they can swiftly run with it... We teachers just need smaller groups to work with to reach our kids faster, keep them on target faster, get this kids ahead where they should and deserve to be. They have so many opportunities. We put so much into educating our kids, but it is not being spent on our kids . The textbooks and equipment is not great, School libraries and the Libraians that are hired to help are not used to help as big resources . A library is not just a place for a book; it is a place to learn about the world and culture . A library should never be empty if it is stocked and a librarian knows books, her teachers and kids, what she can do to help make books available for certain projects. An Academic program should be made just as highly regarded as an athletic program. Money structured for the political or administrative areas is overly allotted. Therefore, the greatest resource for our children are not only the blame but also the heart and soul of what needs nurturing to keep the growth of curiosity in the excited young brains of our future. Teachers have to be quick and sharp . They must have time to prepare to be one step ahead at all times. We have to stay smarter in academics and culture to use appropriate examples to bring their thinking level to a new plane. Our kids are not getting smart , dedicated, teachers. Our students are getting teachers who are overworked, underplayed , treated disrespectfully by adminitrators, parents, and of course the students. Teachers are the scapegoats for everything. Until that respect comes to teachers , students will continue to fall behind no matter how much equipment or resources are available . I will end with saying this , if I can teach a Sunday School lesson to 3-4year old children about how smart Jesus was and some of the good things he taught in the parables ( I compared them to the fables - stories that had good lessons) , which most older people have a tough time understanding , then you know you can break down stories enough to teach the the little Boogers anything! They are just full of life anxious and ready for you to catch their curiosity in the right way and then their hooked and once they have had that great reading experience , help them keep reading with the library or a favorite bookstore as a treat. Then when they see you read too --- that's even better. If they bring out To Kill A Mockingbird to read for school express your excitement . Drop hints , reread it talk over the tough stuff. They are able . If they watched Hannah Montana grow up to ride a wrecking ball and not freak out then they can read this book. If they can pretend to be someone else for a whole day and see how it feels to walk from a different point of view, it may be hard , but they will learn a precious lesson. TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH TO BE TREATED!!! So, in concluding my part of this discussion as an English teacher with questions concerning every book on the lists, I say work with your teachers and your kids. If you especially feel the teacher is not giving your child the experience you want them to experience , help out. If the teacher is doing this great , then offer , to bring popcorn and drinks while they watch the movie after they take their tests!!! How many times I wanted to say to a parent I can't have children these will be all I have. I try to treat them with the love and respect you would have . If you need me , my door is always open and we always will do what is right for our child.
Oh! What a lovely and bright eyed smiling face comes to me as a child has just read that book you asked them to and tells you that this my most favorite book in the world!!! I have many warm memories as such.
Just recently, a student from my very first year teaching, left a note on my FaceBook Page , " ...Miss Copley and I will not be attending the new remake of The Great Gatsby just released . We still feel that F.Scott. Fitzgerald's words were colorful enough to leave the greatest impressions in our minds." She is Tracy Leflore and 30 now a nurse. She did her first research paper on Jim Morrison of The Doors , because I once told her he was my first crush when everyone else like Donnie Osmond!!! LOL!
Well , sorry for rambling! I miss teaching the young ones. I love to learn myself and reading and writing is part of a dream . I am only 50. Time for Book Part 2 ...
When I was in school we read it for my 7th grade English class. I don't think you understand everything at that age but we had some really good discussions based on this book and it has remained among my favorite books.
I read it in elementary school somewhere between 5th and 7th. I love the book now, some 40+ years later, and have read it many times.
I really don't recommend reading it until 9th grade. I read it in 7th grade and I was appalled by the language and I was not ready for those topics to be discussed. I am homeschooled and so I had not been exposed to things like that. I do, however, believe that you must have a certain level of maturity, not as a good reader but as a person. I wish I hadn't read it in 7th grade, not just because I didn't like some of the content (otherwise, I loved it), but because I wasn't quite able to appreciate the prejudice of the quaint little town that Scout lived in.
Dawn wrote: "The book is usually loved by all who can understand the history of our country . I am now realizing after this thread and several conversations I have been included in lately that our children are ..."Once again well said, Dawn. Wonderful teachers like you are few and precious. First you have to love children and their welfare like you so kindly and obviously do.
One of my friends (less of a friend every year) a long time K-1 teacher hates her kids. I know scaring them for life never enters her mind. It's just a job to her.
So I deeply admire and applaud you. Never quit. Be a master teacher. I hope you are already. Many are horrible. I went through a teaching program with my friend and had terrible master teachers. I never finished in part because of them and the system that allowed them to be teachers and damage kids. I should have pushed through because my heart is like yours but they wore me out and so did the "system". My life's regret.
I'm a believer that good movies are also the literature of our time. As for Our wonderful book TKAMB, why not have "Classic Movie Day" show your older students the movie first which may encourage them to read the book on their own which is your ultimate goal anyway. It's not to be missed. The movie is beautiful. Other socially relevant movies are "Inherit the Wind" with Spenser Tracy, "Separate but Equal" 1991 Sidney Poitier movie about the Brown v. Board of Education movie, really wonderful look into the great US SC case and segregation. "Twelve Angry Men" Henry Fonda. "Gone with the Wind."
You get the idea.
Bravo...
Dawn wrote: "The book is usually loved by all who can understand the history of our country . I am now realizing after this thread and several conversations I have been included in lately that our children are ..."I read this book in middle school, after picking it off the shelf at a library on school break. I comprehended it fine, and enjoyed it after getting past the first few chapters (which are more setup than anything else).
Now, I am in tenth grade. My cumulative history learning is represented by Massachusetts history throughout elementary school (which actually had a lot to cover), (a very fragmented) world history in middle school, and European history now. I still have, to this day, never taken a US History course. (I will take it next year because we need 3 semesters of it to graduate (I'll take AP, so the summer work can count as the 3rd semester)).
Despite this, I understood it fine. We (people my age) don't need to sit there in a classroom and have segregation and civil rights forced down our throats. We've all heard of it. We could easily describe it. We get it. Look at my generation - we are growing up in the digital age, where everyone (except for me, apparently) has a smartphone, and spends globs of time on social media. Information travels fast, now. We all see the news. We all know that today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and we could describe its significance. There is little sheltering for the average teens of today.
"Big government" is not the Federal Government. It is the new aggressive State government, "Big" is redefined now as the new runaway power of State government, those State governments who are constantly in the news, regressing laws attached to attitudes back to the 1950s we've already fought for and won and stripping state workers unions of rights, who are police, fire and teachers unions because they are bought off by corrupt, conservative Mr. Potter type billionaires from North Carolina and New York to do this very thing, who corrupt politicians to legislate their peculiar, self-serving agendas and deeply fund these sleazy politicians who can be bought re-election campaigns and these billionaires and their "committees" advertise constantly to create an a deadly "us v. them" mindset. And sadly it's working too well. These bought off men are officially far worse than any third world country corrupt body of politicians. This is an old tactic regenerated by hate, one that created WWII and the deaths of 10 million people. I hope you can see through this smoke and mirrors ploy. States are responsible for curriculum and Boards of Education. Now that Texas controls the publication of most textbooks you're never going to see the real truth of history anywhere. Take back the truth. Teach the truth. Be the truth.
I read this book while I was in sixth grade. Then I thought it was childish and that I should have read it at a lower age, This is a good book for sixth and seventh graders by far.
Lobstergirl wrote: "Definitely it should be read anywhere from 5th-8th grade. Or smart 4th graders. A lot of 10 year olds are reading at a 14-15 year old level anyway."The ability to read the words of a book does not mean that kids will understand the depth of this book. That's what the question is really about.
Dawn wrote: "Well as a teacher , I can truly say most schools will not allow it to be taught until 7th or 8th grade. This is when I taught the book which was well loved by most students but some were upset and ..."I've been finding that there are a lot of teachers who assume that kids in 7 and 8th grade know how to pick a book apart on their own. It seems that guided discussion is sorely lacking. A lot of teachers have difficulty knowing how to ask good questions to get kids thinking about themes and there is little to no group discussion. I'm not slamming teachers, I have just found this to be true with my 8th grade son. I often talk to him about the books that he is reading and notice that he has missed central concepts. I end up having to talk with him to help fill in a lot of the gaps from classroom instruction.
Drew wrote: "I read it when I was around 10, and I liked it quite a lot, and I wasn't disturbed by anything. However, I didn't understand the whole "rape" thing, so I would recommend it to kids probably a littl..."Your comment shows that the age in which you read the book was too young. If you "didn't understand the whole rape thing," how did you understand ANY of the book?
Dawn wrote: "The book is usually loved by all who can understand the history of our country . I am now realizing after this thread and several conversations I have been included in lately that our children are ..."Why oh why don't my kids have a teacher like you!?!
Rachel wrote: "Your comment shows that the age in which you read the book was too young. If you "didn't understand the whole rape thing," how did you understand ANY of the book?"Exactly. That's my point. I would suggest kids wait until they're older than I was to read it. I'll probably reread it again, now that I can fully understand it.
I did understand most of the book, and I got the concept about racism, and that the trial was for a black man they thought had hurt a white woman, but I wish I'd waited a few years to read it.
I was just trying to be helpful and share my experience of reading the book at a young age. My point was that it isn't a disturbing book, but to understand the whole plot idea, I definitely wouldn't recommend it to a young audience like I was.
Carl wrote: "Once again well said, Dawn. Wonderful teachers like you are few and precious. First you have to love children and their welfare like you so kindly and obviously do."
My siblings and I have an awesome teacher. My mom.
Dawn wrote: "Well as a teacher , I can truly say most schools will not allow it to be taught until 7th or 8th grade. This is when I taught the book which was well loved by most students but some were upset and ..."Well said. Teachers are wonderful people who inspire our children to be the best they can.
Drew wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Your comment shows that the age in which you read the book was too young. If you "didn't understand the whole rape thing," how did you understand ANY of the book?"Exactly. That's m..."
Honestly, I think most middle school kids today would understand it. In my experience (as a teen today), kids are not nearly as sheltered as they use to be. Stuff that was considered shocking a few decades ago is way less of a surprise to today's kids. Media prevents us from growing up with a "life is good" perception of the world.
I had no trouble understanding this stuff as a middle schooler, and I (due to the efforts of my parents to keep me largely away from media pre-high school (they've stopped caring now)) grew up much more sheltered than most of my peers.
I read this book when i was around five or so and wasn't scarred or anything. I think the problem people have with this book is that it doesn't sugar coat anything. There were a couple of things that might make you pause and you should probably read it before giving it to your kid.
I am in middle school and I completely understood the book. I got the point of it and understood why Harper Lee wrote it. It is really not that hard for middle schoolers to understand if they can get the words down.
Yes, hands down. I in't read it until I was an adult and I think it would have been interesting to have had a YA perspective first---to relate to the child characters.
Personally, I do NOT think this book is appropriate for children of ANY age. We should NEVER encourage children to befriend those with obvious mental illness.
This is what I saw as dangerous in this book...and most people would overlook this facet in favor of seeing only a race issue. Sad to miss what is obvious for what should not be obvious.
YES....it is never too early to learn about the human sickness of bigotry and prejudice.
TKAM is one of those novels where you get something different out of it depending on when in life you read it. I think it is okay to read it in 6-7th grade, but I honestly believe that students will get more out of it if they read it in high school, when they have a little more life under their belts. I teach it in my 9th grade English class, and I find that if asked to read it on their own, students don't grasp the full context and meaning of the book. It truly is one of the best pieces of American literature out there, but needs to be taught in a structured setting where students can be guided through the nuances of the text. It is indicative of the pain of our countries past, but it is also transcendent in that its themes and motifs are applicable to many present day civil rights issues. So in summation, I believe that though it can be read at a 6th or 7th grade level, it is better understood a few years later when childrens' cognitive processes are a little more developed and they are better able to thinking critically about what the book is truly saying. Everyone should read this book at some point in their lives however!
Definitely. It's a great character study. It goes into cultural biases. It's time for kids to understand that all men are not created weekly. Boo radly is a good example of someone with mental problems. Think about how old Scout was when her father took the case.
Samira wrote: "I read this is book in grade 9 academic english class. Its a highly-constructed Literature novel approriate for anyone who truly understand the moral to the story and why its called,"To kill a mock..."Why is it called To Kill a Mockingbird? I never gave it any thought.
Linda wrote: "Samira wrote: "I read this is book in grade 9 academic english class. Its a highly-constructed Literature novel approriate for anyone who truly understand the moral to the story and why its called,..."The mockingbird is used in the story as a symbol of innocence. Miss Maudie says it's a sin to kill a mockingbird because all they do is try to make beautiful music for people. They don't do anyone any harm. The two characters in the novel that are compared to mockingbirds are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Both represent different forms of innocence. Tom is persecuted and falsely accused of rape because he is black. It's clear he cannot have done the deed because he is crippled (another example of his innocence), but his skin color is too strong an evidence to be ignored during this time period. Boo Radley is a man who was abused as a child and has since locked himself in his house to avoid the world. He leaves his house to save Scout from a drunk Mr. Ewell that is attempting to kill her because of her father. His heroics, however, are kept quiet because he wouldn't have been able to emotionally and mentally handle the attention. The novel is called To Kill a Mockingbird because Harper Lee is trying to illustrate how wrong it is to persecute those in our society who are powerless, and to use their powerlessness against them.
To Linda Atticus tells the children never to hurt songbirds because they only contribute to the beauty of life and mean no harm .many chapters later clever ltttle Scout compares Boo to a lovely songbird who gave to society (and the Finches also named after a bird) and if brought into the limelight would be hurt so best to leave him alone. the mocking bird also hints at Tom who contributed to the town and was shot also maybe the innocence of the children who woke up and cried when the Jury saw the truth but acted otherwise All in all there are several songbirds in this story who give beauty to life and should not be harmed (sorry to give my interpitation but I too am a former teacher and I just couldn't resist excuse my bad typing and spelling)
Thanks. I read the book so long ago that I missed the allusions to the birds.
Mary wrote: "Personally, I do NOT think this book is appropriate for children of ANY age. We should NEVER encourage children to befriend those with obvious mental illness.
This is what I saw as dangerous in th..."
Mary - Why not? Please elaborate on this "danger" of which you speak.
why caan't kids read about Nazi Germany? It's history- but of the most brutal.
Absolutely read it to your 6th and 7th graders, they will love it.
Mary wrote: "Personally, I do NOT think this book is appropriate for children of ANY age. We should NEVER encourage children to befriend those with obvious mental illness.
This is what I saw as dangerous in th..."
Wow Mary....sure you don't want to delete your post, on reflection?
Chris wrote: "The problem is you have this very telling reference at the end to Nazi Germany, which we didn't study in school until 15 years of age. So unless you are a voracious reader of AJP Taylor and co at a..."Honestly, I'm surprised about that. I started reading Holocaust-period nonfiction as an eight or nine year old.
Melissa wrote: "Chris wrote: "The problem is you have this very telling reference at the end to Nazi Germany, which we didn't study in school until 15 years of age. So unless you are a voracious reader of AJP Tayl..."All you had to read was the diary of Ann Frank. Perfectly suited for a middle schooler, and will give you all the insight you need on your future nazi studies.
I read this in 4th grade, as my father wanted me to and I understood the themes discussed in it completely, I've read it a few times since and it continues to be my favorite book!
Shannon wrote: "I just finished reading it with my sophomore students. They really enjoyed it, as a whole. I read it last year with my 8th grade students. I had to explain a lot more about the parts and pieces ..."I don't think that it has anything to do with age, in moderb times kids in 6th to 7th grade are reading books filled with much more innapropriate material, they're often drawn to things that deal with themes that are different and tough, and to expose them to great literature like in To Kill a Mockingbird, which doesn't contain much swearing, violence or sexual content is a great idea.
I read it at the beginning of my 8th grade year, but I find nothing wrong with younger people reading. I actually think it's a great thing to read when your younger, it gives such great lessons about life and looking past our differences whether they be wealth, race, or age.
Linda wrote: "Why is it called To Kill a Mockingbird?"The reason for that title is implied in the narrative of the book itself when Scout recalls what Atticus told her about what birds they should or should not target for shooting and especially at the end of the scene on the front porch between Atticus and Sheriff Heck Tate near the end of the book. (I looked it up just now, it is Chapter 30)
I think so, because the book is fairly easy to read and Scout is a very good character to follow for that age group. The book is a good 6th-7th grade level example of fitting into the larger social protocol and/vs. morality. The living conditions of Scout feel very modern with a single parent, and she is rambunctious and can be related to for her non-idealized imperfections--as well as her reactions to the adult situation her father is involved with. The injustice of Tom's situation can be related too even in today's society. And while such blatant racism is (hopefully) no longer a concern, all sorts of "-isms" still are and will be forevermore.
I read this in 6th grade. It was and is one of my favorites (I read it yearly) The history of racism is something that has been ongoing learning event since reading this book...and involves all races that have come to USA, i think...almost like hazing in college. Of course, some had it worse than others but from the stories my Polish immigrant father told me about his assimilation as a youngster, he had his share of bad trouble. I loved this book also for the sort of underlying themes as well and even humor. My heroes throughout my life have remained Atticus and Scout-both beautiful and brave souls. It was a good book for a 6th grader in the 60's and educational AND entertaining. Please do not be afraid to expose your children to the uglineess and unfairness in life...it will actually serve them well later.I have to say I tried to read this with my mixed race grandaughter-8th grade and she was not interested at all and am still not sure why except she is not the voracious reader I was at that age and I had the blessing of parents and a few teachers who encouraged me in this--both challenged me to read ABOVE my grade level...
Margot wrote: "Of course I read it in 2nd grade, but you need to be a good reader. I also highly recommend it"?
Personally, I do not find a specific age limit with this book, just be ready to discuss it with your child and answer any questions her/she might have.
As a high school English teacher, I cringe to hear people encouraging their kids to read this book before high school. While a younger audience may be ABLE to read this book, they are not ready for the emotional experience it carries with it. When high school kids tell me they read TKAM in middle school and hated it, I encourage them to give it another go. Inevitably they LOVE it the second time around, claiming that they were not aware of the intensity of the story at a younger age. Please wait.
We were set this book at school in the UK when I was about thirteen, which would be grade 7 or 8, I guess. We had to read it for English Literature but we weren't given any historical or geographical context whatsoever. To say that I couldn't make anything of it would be an understatement. I couldn't even make out when or where it was set. The culture was utterly foreign to me. Never mind the bizarre interracial relations, I actually gave up on it earlier when, if I remember correctly, Scout was sent to read to some rather strange old lady who had decided to wean herself off morphine so she could be aware of how much pain she was dying in. That spooked me out beyond belief.After that, I skimmed the rest. I didn't learn anything from it because I didn't understand any of it, I just got disturbed. It was just very weird - so wrong, in a scary incomprehensible way, and yet no explanation of how things got to be so wrong. If you all tell me it makes perfect sense to young American kids, I'll have to believe you, but it's hard to imagine. I'd say if you're going for it with young teenagers, read it with them.
Amy, no offense but are you aware of what is going on in many, dare I say most middle schools today? Just this evening my grandaughter was telling me how a girl in her class was pushed in big garbage bag and the bag dragged out out of class by two male classmates (8th grade). The girl was screaming and one of the boys said TO the teacher that he was just taking out the trash! The MALE teacher glanced towards the door and commotion and DID NOTHING. My granddaughter has learned in middle school to keep her head down and stay quiet--she talks with her Dad and me about these things. We adults have learned for her sake to send ONLY anonymous notices to principal about incidents like this..with either no response or unsatisfactory response. She helped to care for ill mother for several years before she died and believe me she could handle the "emotional experience" that comes with the book. I know plenty of children these grades who might even take comfort from this book. I believe it reinforced my empathy that has stayed with me as an adult. Your comment about children ABLE to read this book but basically not being able to process it emotionally seems strange coming from a teacher. Able to read something is not just sight reading but rather IS understanding what you read...PERIOD. Your statement frightens me, actually because you are a teacher.
BTW, my little one has had to face race issues head on as she is of mixed race at very early age and even though she was not really interested in reading the book-she has heard the stories and lessons in it from several important people in her life but not much support from her schools.
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This has been required reading in California and racial discrimination is still present in our society. Learning the lesson presented in this book will always be relevant that's why it's a classic. 5th grade is just right. Try the movie too. Another classic starring Gregory Peck. Wonderful!