Telemachos Guided Editions of the Classics Review
After graduating two homeschoolers, I’ve found one thing that has posed a problem for us in the early years of high school: reading comprehension.
No matter how we’ve tried to fill the gaps and ensure our kids are good readers in elementary and middle school, it seems like once they hit high school, they hit a wall. The classics can be challenging to read and fully understand for teenagers. And while I know they need different reading strategies than we’ve used in the younger years, I struggled to figure out exactly how to assist them.
That’s why I was so excited when I was introduced to Telemachos Publishing Guided Editions of the Classics.
This post is sponsored by Telemachos Publishing. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not guaranteed.
I was compensated for my time.
Guided Editions of the Classics offers reading strategies that make the classics enjoyable again! It offers just enough structure without sucking the fun out of reading some of the world’s best tales! Instead of feeling bored, students are engaged and actually remember what they’ve read!
Telemachos Publishing currently offers these classic works:
- Call of the Wild
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Great Expectations
- The Great Gatsby
- Anne of Green Gables
- Frankenstein
- The Scarlet Letter
- A Tale of Two Cities
- Macbeth
- A Christmas Carol
You can browse all of the Guided Editions of the Classics and choose the perfect classic for your homeschool here.
5 Reasons We Love Telemachos Guided Editions of the Classics
Makes the Classics Doable:
Not very many homeschool moms can teach the classics quite like Guided Editions of the Classics. Knowing which questions to ask along the way to help kids truly understand the text is a huge part of ensuring your kids are learning. These books offer reading strategies that feel like you have your own English teacher reading along next to you! With simple questions that spark critical thinking and perfectly-placed footnotes, students can truly understand the text.
I really wanted to teach the classics in my homeschool but I simply didn’t have time to put in the extra work I really wanted: deeper dives, activities, thought-provoking questions, the works! The Guided Editions of the Classics do that for me, breaking the classics down into manageable chunks, with built-in comprehension and discussion questions.
We’ve started using these a few times a week, and it’s quickly become one of the easiest parts of our homeschool routine. I don’t have to facilitate or even think about it!
Easy to Use:
While so many book studies require students to complete dull worksheets to prove they’re comprehending the text, Telemachos Publishing ensures they’re learning through building a strong vocabulary so students can confidently tackle difficult texts and establishing critical thinking skills that carry over into writing and discussion. And students don’t need clunky textbooks or useless teacher’s guides for that!
Instead, the Guided Editions of the Classics have built-in an extensive glossary, literary and historic footnotes, annotated pages and sample models right into the classic book.
That means your student has everything they need in one simple book!
- Headed to the beach for the day? Take along your book!
- Going on a long car ride? Mark reading a classic off your to-do list!
- Spending lots of time at the airport? Grab your book and improve your reading strategies while you travel through time zones.
At an age where so many subjects require multiple books, worksheets and teachers guides just to learn, being able to grab a simple guided classic book is a breath of fresh air!
The first time my teen used one of these books, I noticed a huge difference. Instead of stopping every few pages to ask, “What does this mean?” they started pointing things out to me. At one point, they said, “Oh, I think this is important because of what happened earlier.”
That was a moment I hadn’t seen before. They weren’t just reading—they were thinking like a reader.
It’s helping my teen not only understand the story, but also organize their thoughts and paragraphing when it comes to writing.
If you’ve ever felt unsure how to teach reading strategies for the classics, I highly recommend checking these out.
Comes from Trusted Sources:
The resources in Telemachos’ Guided Editions of the Classics have been carefully created by Michael Degen, a current high school English teacher, who has over 30 years of teaching the classics under his belt. He has also the graded AP English exam, served a College Board consultant, spoke at conferences all over the world and continues to provide professional development to teachers all over the Unites State.
Michael’s colleague, Ian Berry, has been an English teacher at Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas for the past decade. He has studied literature at the University of Texas and the Sorbonne.
Between the two of them, you can trust that your student is being challenged, while also being guided. Knowing this came from real classroom experience makes me feel so much more confident using it in our homeschool.
They’ve done such a great job at this that it just leaves me wondering when they will come out with curriculum for other homeschool subjects?
Teaches Independence:
No other classic book study offers guided reading questions directly on the page. This reading strategy points readers to the key details that help them dive deeper into the story. This kind of instructional strategy is exactly what I didn’t know how to teach on my own.
Instead of sitting next to my student and helping guide them, the Guided Editions of the Classics do just that! It’s almost like the reader has a private tutor, sitting next to them, whispering hints and tips into their ear. These reading strategies build and build and build, until your student is naturally thinking critically about the things they read.
When using Telemachos Guided Editions of the Classics, students gain confidence, while it opens up some time for parents to mark some tasks of their own to-do lists.
What really stood out to me is that the guided questions are placed directly on the page—not in a separate workbook. That means my student is learning the critical reading process in real time, noticing key details and thinking more deeply without waiting for me to step in.
I also appreciate that the books include student model essays and additional resources, so students can actually see what strong writing looks like.
Even more impressive, each book includes an introduction that walks students through how to develop their own ideas and form a strong written argument. This kind of writing strategy, based on real AP English exam experience, is something I would have struggled to teach on my own.
These guided books don’t just improve reading—they teach close reading and critical thinking skills in a way my teens can actually apply.
Prepares Students for AP English:
I love that these editions combine reading strategies and writing instruction, especially for students preparing for AP English.
It’s more than reading: Guided Editions of the Classics are the perfect way to improve student’s writing, as well. Each edition contains an introductory essay, mapping out a clear process for developing their own voice. This is perfect for improving their writing strategies. These exact strategies have been tested for over 20 years and currently produce a 100% pass rate on the AP English exams! 80% of those students scored either a 4 or 5! That kind of results is simply unheard of! As a homeschool parent, that kind of proven success with AP English-level thinking and writing gives me so much confidence.
If you’re ready to help your teen become a more confident reader and writer, now is the perfect time to try these guided editions.
You can browse all of the Guided Editions of the Classics and choose the right fit for your homeschool—and save 15% with code HOMESCHOOL.
Telemachos Publishing Guided Editions of the Classics has taken the place of an English writing tutor. Combined with their proven reading strategies, these books are priceless and should be on the shelf of every homeschool family!
This is a great opportunity to try one of these guided classics in your homeschool.
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