Writing the narrative can be easier as well, for the homeschool student is usually describing a series of events (hopefully not unfortunate) in the order that they occurred. The writing is fun; the construction is simple. As long as transitions are included between events, what could go wrong?

Well, narratives often lack a primary ingredient. And that missing ingredient is a theme.

Theme, in literature, is the central idea of a work—a main idea that everything in the composition is centered around and gives structure to the work overall. Check out the following themes from famous pieces of literature:

• Shakespeare’s Othello: jealousy leads to distrust and sorrow.
• Margery Williams’ The Velveteen Rabbit: love has great and mysterious power.
• Lois Lowry’s The Giver: having honor is not the same thing as having authority.

“Why is theme so important, especially in narratives?” a student may ask their homeschool instructor. “Can’t the events of a story be told without one?”

They can. And many homeschool students write narratives and stories this way—relating events as they happened—without some kind of overarching theme. But here are three reasons why narratives of any kind should include a theme:

Narratives are literature.

If a narrative is literature, and literature must have a theme, then it follows that narratives must have themes as well. Themes, along with their earlier definition, can also be described as the purpose for writing.

What is the author trying to say? What might the author want their reader to learn? How does everything in a story fit together? The answers to these questions can usually be found in the theme, and a piece of literature often includes multiple themes (though just one is sufficient for a narrative).

Homeschool students, when writing, may not make the connection that their composition is also literature. Once that connection is realized, however, the idea of a theme often comes more naturally.

Narratives are guided by a theme.  

The idea of a theme as something essential to the narrative may intimidate the student, but on the contrary, knowing the theme before writing a narrative is quite helpful. If the student knows their main idea before writing the narrative’s events, they can pen each event in a way that specifically points back to that main idea.

For example, if the student is writing about their first time on a rollercoaster, their theme could be how overcoming their fear led to something fun. If the student has chosen to write about when they moved to a different city, the theme could cover how change is easier when one is surrounded by family.

The final result of writing a narrative like this is that each part of the narrative is essential to the whole. Nothing is random or out of place; instead, the theme is supported by every included event. Knowing the theme beforehand, then, is beneficial to the student as they write, and the events themselves can help guide the student toward a theme.

Narratives are incomplete without a theme.

Several strings of events without some kind of knot to pull them together will remain unconnected, and that’s exactly what a narrative without a theme is. Narratives are stories, and stories are interesting because every element is connected to something bigger—the theme, the main idea, the overarching message.

Narratives without themes are basically lists of events, and very few people enjoy reading lists. If a narrative is fun to write and fun to read, then, the student needs to make sure that their final product is enjoyable, and a theme does this by keeping the reader interested and intrigued.

Narratives without themes leave the reader lacking.

A simple fact of the human condition is that we want reason and meaning in whatever we do. Whether it’s playing a video game, working at a company, or even reading a personal narrative, one question guides us: Why?

“Why must the game’s adventurer complete quests? Why is the company’s mission important? Why am I reading this narrative, and why did the author write it?”

A narrative without a theme cannot answer those final queries but will instead pose additional questions. A narrative with a theme, however, explains why the included events are important. It also leaves the reader with something to ponder after they have finished reading, which is another important function of theme.

Themes are vital in literature, and narratives are literature; as a result, the homeschool student’s narrative must include a theme in order to be complete and satisfying. As you write, let the theme appear naturally. During the events you plan to describe, how did you feel? What did you learn? Who was affected? Let the theme guide your narrative, and it will guide your reader as well.

Danielle Nettleton

Curriculum Editor

Essentials in Writing

What can I do for my homeschool student who struggles with understanding literature and who “just doesn’t get it”?

Somewhat recently, a friend and I were discussing some short stories assigned in her Introduction to Literature class. “I’ve read some of them before in seventh grade,” she told me, “but it doesn’t really matter. I didn’t understand them then, and I don’t understand them now.”

She was partially joking, but that conversation stuck with me. The study of literature is an integral part of education, yet many students don’t understand literature and despise it as a result of forced close readings, comprehension of minute details, and what feels like piles of metaphors waiting to be decoded.

Students, homeschool students included, are quick to tell us how much they dislike short stories or poems. Discovering ways to help them understand what they’re reading may not be found so easily, however.

In this blog post, we’ll examine what homeschool students say regarding literature, what they actually mean, and how you can help them.

What the student says: “I hate studying stories and poems. They’re pointless.”

What the student means: “I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be getting from this literature.”

Hatred (or even general dislike) often stems from misunderstanding, and this can be seen in all areas of education. The student who struggles with complex equations hates math. The student who can’t remember dates and names hates history. The student who doesn’t understand figurative language hates literature. Lack of understanding makes us feel foolish, so we hide behind hatred rather than admitting we don’t understand something.

The solution: Dig deeper with your student.

As homeschool parents and teachers, the visceral reaction to “I hate [insert subject here]” is often frustration or exasperation. Once we realize that the student is struggling to understand the subject, though, we can help the student with an attitude of problem-solving rather than dismissal. Ask your student specific questions about the literature. Focus on small portions. Research background information that may shed light on the literature’s themes. Brush up on their understanding of figurative language. Approaching literature with specific strategies for understanding makes the task less daunting.

What the student says: “I just don’t get it.”

What the student means: “I feel too overwhelmed to describe exactly what I don’t understand.”

This is progress! The student has overcome the hatred stage and readily admits that they don’t understand the literature. However, the general statement of “I just don’t get it” isn’t particularly helpful as to what exactly the student doesn’t understand.

The solution: Focus on small details with your student.

Trying to focus on and comprehend everything at once in a piece of literature is understandably overwhelming. Instead of expecting your student to understand everything right away, encourage them to focus on one aspect of the literature at a time. Does the student comprehend the events of the story? Move on to instances of figurative language. Do they understand why the author used figurative language? Ask them to look for deeper meaning. Choosing to ignore the big picture and taking a step-by-step approach to literature lets the student move at their own pace and ensures that they understand the literature more fully.

What the student says: “Why didn’t the author just say what they mean?”

What the student means: “Why does literature need to be so complex?”

The student who asks this question likely comprehends the material, for they understand enough to question the author’s methods of conveying information. Instead of hatred or doubt, the student may feel frustrated or dismissive toward the literature. After all, why would the author choose to make things so complicated if they wanted people to understand their writings?

The solution: Ask your student to consider why we view literature as something deserving of study.

Literature is writing, and writing, in its most basic form, is communication. Communication can be and is often simple, especially when it is verbal, so what would be the point of complex communication? Why would an author choose to bypass simplicity in favor of intricacy? Ask your student these questions. Remind them as well that communication takes many forms and purposes, and ask them to brainstorm various purposes of short stories or poems. Naysayers of literature like to accuse others of “reading too much” into the material, but the stories and poems we deem “literature” contain quality aspects that have enabled them to survive and be enjoyed even hundreds of years after their initial publication.

Whether your homeschool student hates literature, doesn’t understand it, or questions its purpose, these tools will enable you to aid your student as they study literature.

Your student may never love literature—and that’s okay. They don’t need to love it to understand it, and you can help them understand it by understanding what your student means when they talk about literature.

Danielle Nettleton
Curriculum Editor
Essentials in Writing

2 + 2 = 4. Always.

The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Correct.

The scientific binomial name for a llama is Lama glama. Amusing, but also factual.

Subjects like math, history, and science have right and wrong answers. 2 + 2 never equals 7, and the Declaration of Independence was not signed in 1864. These answers are easily checked and marked as right or wrong on activities and tests.

However, English is not a subject with such easy “right” and “wrong” answers. 

In most cases.

Oh no, here we go with the exceptions and grey areas that are so frustrating! How are we supposed to learn and teach English if it has no right and wrong answers (in most cases)?!

Many people will be happy to know that certain areas of English can be identified as plainly correct or incorrect. In compositions, things like capitalization and punctuation can be “right” and “wrong.” Is the first letter of every proper name capitalized? Do the compound-complex sentences have commas in the required places? Such areas of mechanics are readily checkable.

In literature, also, sometimes wrong answers are easy to spot:

Question: What is a theme in Charles Dickens’s novella A Christmas Carol?

Obviously wrong answer: All old people hate the holidays.

See? Sometimes it’s easy! It’s the other times, however—the times when a response seems to be good but doesn’t match the sample answer in the Parent/Teacher Handbook—that induce headaches.

So how do you judge answers for composition and literature?

Here is where we need to shift our thinking a little. We are not computers that only understand 1’s and 0’s—yes and no, there and not there. We are human beings with minds, wills, and emotions that can process in terms other than “correct” and “incorrect.”

Instead of thinking in terms of “right” or “wrong,” think in terms of “done well” or “done poorly.”

Let me ask you: What is the right time to finish a foot race?

That’s an absurd concept, isn’t it? There is no right time; there is only a good time and a poor time.

This concept applies to English responses, and it will hopefully take the burden of finding the “right” answer off both students and parents. Some people may be uncomfortable with the lack of correct/incorrect limits, but we can handle this, trust me. I believe in you!

Now that we are thinking in terms of “done well” and “done poorly,” how are we supposed to know if a response is “done well”?

Here are some guidelines to help homeschool students write and to help parents judge responses for English.

Composition:

• Does the composition clearly communicate ideas? Then it is done well.
• Is the content organized and easily-followable? Then it is done well.
• Does the composition utilize proper mechanics? Then it is done well. (Note: Everyone makes mistakes. A few typos or missing commas does not ruin an entire essay.)
• Is the content worth reading because it contains quality thoughts? Then it is done well.

In literature, things are trickier, but we still have some general guidelines for creating and judging responses.

Literature:

• Does the response demonstrate thinking? Don’t approach a piece of literature with the goal to find the answer. Rather, consider how it makes you think (or feel). A response that demonstrates one’s thinking is done well.
• Is it supported by the literature? The idea that literature can mean whatever you want is not true. (But that’s a subject for another blog post.) A response that uses the piece of literature to support one’s thinking (that uses “textual support”) is done well.
• Does the response consider the entire piece of literature? Sometimes people base their response on one small part of a story or poem, but it doesn’t accurately represent the literature in question. A response that considers the piece of literature as a whole is done well.
• Is it well-written? For this, see the previous bulleted list

Composition and literature don’t have to be intimidating. Without the high stress pressure of finding the “right” answer, English can even be an enjoyable subject to learn and to teach!

By Athena Lester
Curriculum Development and Scoring Services