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The Phantom Tollbooth - A Guide for Kids

© Irene Taylor

The Phantom Tollbooth has been one of my favorite books for many years now. I first read it long ago when I was teaching fifth grade and it was on the fifth-grade reading list. It was then, and is now, one of the best books for upper elementary school aged readers that I have ever read.

The Phantom Tollbooth is a fantasy - no two ways about it. But it is an unusual fantasy in that it is rich in figurative language, and it is an excellent tool for teaching many of the nuances of language such as idioms, figures of speech, synonyms, and colorful language, as well as story elements such as point of view.

Back in 2002, I wrote a review of The Phantom Tollbooth that can be found here: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/4221...

More recently, I decided that this book would be great for both elementary school students and for homeschoolers, as well. I wanted to expand upon the ideas in that article and create a guide for teaching this book that can be used by students themselves, homeschooling 'rents and teachers. There is something for each in this course, The Phantom Tollbooth: A Guide for Kids: http://www.suite101.com/course.cfm/19516...

To give you a brief overview of the course, here is the course overview:

This course is a guide for reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. It is written for students ages 10-12. This course can be used by homeschoolers as part of a homeschool curriculum or by students who just want to be guided as they read a really great book. It can also be used by teachers who may be teaching this book to their classes, since it includes many great teaching ideas!

Included in the course are a synopsis of the story, information about the author, ideas to use before you read, vocabulary activities, chapter by chapter reading assignments, journal ideas, and an end of book project.

Besides learning about a great book, you will also do some fun activities with words, including synonyms and idioms. You'll also meet some really interesting characters as you accompany Milo on an amazing journey!

You will need a copy of the book The Phantom Tollbooth for this course. You can get a copy from your local library or bookstore, or you can order one through the course link at Amazon.

The Phantom Tollbooth: A Guide for Kids is a Quick Course, meaning that all of the lesson materials are accessible at once, and you can sign up at any time. So, if you are a child who wants to increase understanding of this great book, a homeschooling parent who is looking for a terrific story to read with your child, or a teacher who wants to teach this book to your students, take a few moments to check out this comprehensive course.