Colloquium on English - Research Institute for Waldorf Education

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attention to the composition of the page, to the artistry that is possible with
type and design. This is huge challenge, and, not surprisingly, many of our
students still prefer to write by hand when given the choice.
In the 10 th grade, main lesson books may still use color and have
beautiful design element. But by this time, one whole page will often present
a concept, not merely a recapitulation. Each page in a 10 th grade main lesson
book can be considered a condensation of a process of thought that has spanned
several days or even weeks of work in the main lesson time. In a block on the
History through Poetry, for example, one page can illustrate, in artistic shorthand,
the concept of tone color or alliteration. There is still an emphasis on
the aesthetic value of the exercise, but main lesson books have become more
condensed and abbreviated.
By 11 th and 12 th grades, I would recommend that the main lesson
book become a completely independent project of the students’ own command
of the subject material. The organization, design, and content should
be as different from book to book as our students one to the other.
Book Reports
Students have been writing book reports since 5 th or 6 th grade. They
know the format: title page, introduction, plot summary, character, and so
on. By the 8 th grade, they should be trying to think what the author is trying
to teach us. This is theme, of course, but that may be too intellectual a
concept. At our school, some students type book reports in the 8 th grade.
By 9 th grade, book reports are essential even though it often seems
that there isn’t enough time to read. Students should be expected to do
monthly book reports as well as summer reading. While the summer reading
list before Grade 9 can relate to the recently completed 8 th grade in
content, the form for the report must change once students reach high school.
One possibility is to have short oral presentations. It is essential that
9 th graders learn how to give oral presentations, and in this way we can
transform the book report from its elementary school clothing and capitalize
on the drama and speech that class teachers have pursued for so many
years. One might begin this with a discussion. We could ask 9 th grade students,
for example, “What makes for an interesting report? What’s interesting
to listen to? How long can you listen to me without falling to sleep?”
The students can devise the criteria for the oral book report. Then they can
take turns presenting a novel to their classmates, using the criteria that they
have devised. Their classmates need to then give good, positive criticism.
We can be both creative and economical with written reports. One
idea I have used with success is the creation of “book jackets”. In the 9 th
grade, I ask students to create an imaginary cover jacket that speaks to the
essence of the book. It needs to include a description of the book in précis
form on one of the jacket flaps, something about the author, and fictional
reviews by critics on the back cover. There should be a thoughtful design or
photograph for the front cover. Students might even use computer graphics
quite successfully for these reports. Clearly, this is a more conceptual idea of
what the book report can be in the early high school years.