Age-appropriate set texts

[FatMumSlim72]

Hi, I have 3 kids at 3 different schools and they are all reading set texts that I am really uncomfortable with and would love other people's advice! 7 year old having to read Private Peaceful (recommended age 9+), 14 year old had to read Woman In Black (his friends having nightmares now), and now my 16 year old is having to study The Pillowman in Drama (age 18+). I know kids have to be exposed to horror and violence at some stage - but this all seems rather heavy...HELP!!!

I have to say as a secondary school English teacher it really does annoy me when say they have already 'done' a novel in primary school that is normally taught in KS3 or 4. To quote an example from this thread The Woman in Black is often used at KS4. What on earth is the purpose of studying it at Y6 when there are so many more age-appropriate texts available.
I did Private Peaceful with Y7 last year and they loved it -they were able to explore the complexities of the issues dealt with in the book and produced some really high-quality writing as a result. But I don't get why you would read it to seven year olds. Michael Morpurgo himself told me then 9-year-old daughter at a book signing that she shouldn't read it yet because it wasn't written for her age group and advised her to choose War Horse instead.

That 7 year old reading Mill on the Floss is just pretentious crap though - all about the ego of the parents, I agree. What is a 7 year old going to get out of that?

I understand your point but I've used the Pillowman with yr 11 and with sixth form. The whole point is that it is about freedom of speech in a totalitarian world. It is deliberately ambiguous as to precisely which of the stories is true. It is a really compelling play and my students have loved it.

I'd choose which bits I gave to gcse classes to be fair. Mainly for language.

I'd rather kids explored these issues through the medium of fiction and theatre though, rather than in real life. Just because a play is about something it doesn't mean it's glorifying...iyswim?

Totally agree with stravagante. I use the play "Our Country's Good" a lot - it explores the issues surrounding crime and punishment. It has a lot of swearing, rape, execution, racism & violence but is actually a pretty uplifting play. Exploring various issues through fiction and theatre allows students to express views and opinions.

This is exactly why Private Peaceful isn't appropriate for 7 year olds. And why The Hunger Games should be kept for 14+ IMO.

gleegeek I totally agree about the narrow genres of fiction for 10-14 year olds. What's wrong with a good story that doesn't have aliens/ tragedy or violence! skylark2 I know I will be seen as being overprotective to my 16yr old, and she has done some pretty dark themes up til now but this suddenly felt like a line being crossed and I know she felt it too, which was why I approached the teacher. They have to do it apparently, which is my massive concern - where is the moral compass in some of these teachers' minds? The thing is she is more than capable of studying a different play on her own as is good at catching a subtle nuance or two, but isn't allowed. LittleTurkish it was very good to read that you would definitely not teach the Pillowman and I am sorry you found it disturbing at 20. I would now at 42 I'm sure but at least have the choice to not watch it! I wish you were her teacher!! I just get concerned about the mental health of our children when they are exposed to themes beyond their emotional maturity. Funny about Portnoy's Complaint though..! ;)

If it's taught well, it's not going to affect her mental health - that's a tad pearl-clutchy. I teach drama and have not done this play as I do not know it, but having read a synopsis, I can see why it's a good play to do. Presumably you also censor her TV/film watching?

Play and novels generally DO deal with difficult issues. Exploring them in a structured environment should be a good thing.

If she's 6th form, then I expect this is going to be the first of a number of challenging texts.

I think the comment from pp is a good one- is she reading the play as a whole, or just extracts?

I would say a synopsis doesn't do this justice- it's a truly brilliant play, but it's disgusting, graphic and gave me nightmares. And I read Clockwork Orange at 13 without any problem- the difference is Pillowman is explicit in its language, whilst many other texts hint at the horrifying stuff. It takes a more mature reader to cope with the more graphic language.

American Psycho is a brilliant modern novel that tackles complex and compelling issues- can't imagine a classroom in the country that would use it as a text for GCSE or A level.

Perhaps it comes down to those people who like violent plays and those who don't? Some of her friends will have watched all the Saw films. I am not censoring her by saying she shouldn't, but I know she would hate it (she was scared at Dobby in Harry Potter ffs!). And I know she would hate this and, reading that others on here had nightmares, I know she would fall into that camp. I think it must be v well regarded as a play to have been on at the National etc and I'm sure makes interesting points about free speech. But where is the freedom of the 16 year old who would prefer to avoid this play until more able to deal with it?! Part of the problem is she has moved schools for sixth form and doesn't know the teacher who will teach the workshops on it, so that's a big risk as to how it will be handled. Her old drama teacher is furious that they are even looking at this for AS level...

I must admit my then 9yo ds read 'Private Peaceful' at home & considered it light relief after 'Goodnight Mr Tom' at school! He's also read & loved all the Hunger Games novels.

He's just reading 'Lord of the Flies' at age 10 & is enjoying it. I completely agree with PP that he's too young to fully appreciate Golding, but I don't see that as a drawback - I read plenty of books myself as a bookworm-y pre-teen which I was able to then appreciate & enjoy on a whole different level via studying them or teaching them.

I teach 'The Woman In Black' for GCSE & think that one would be a bit wasted on under 14s, to be honest. Fabulous for teaching literary devices, structure, the building of atmosphere etc, but creepy because of what's implied, not what happens - unlike LOTF, a bright 10yo isn't likely to find it a rattling good yarn.

I do think suitability is a very subjective thing. Many of my year 11s read George RR Martin (highly gruesome, sexually explicit, key point of view characters routinely despatched in unpleasant ways) with relish, yet are genuinely horrified & upset by the final scenes of 'The Woman In Black' or 'Of Mice & Men'.

My school does American Psycho for A Level English.

I remember doing Woman In Black Drama GCSE..We went to the theatre to see it...or have never witnessed anything more terrifying in film/theatre since.

*in GCSE

**I have never witnessed

I have never taught American Psycho but the principal moderator of my exam board's A2 coursework tells me that he has seen it come up as a coursework text (schools choose their own: not prescribed by the board).

The Woman In Black book did give me nightmares and I had alewady seen the play, but I was pregnant at the time. My dd saw the play with the school and missed the whole second half because she covered her eyes and ears but she wants to see it again.
All children react differently. My dd was very upset about war after learning about poppy day in infants. My niece had nightmares about egyptians in juniors and my friends ds had nightmares after visiting stansted montfichet castle with the school.

They have to do it apparently, which is my massive concern - where is the moral compass in some of these teachers' minds?

Did you mean to be so rude? I'm not a drama teacher but would like to point out that in English we are given set lists of books; we don't have a free choice. A Taste of Honey and The History Boys are both on the new English Literature syllabus - both great texts, but not my ideal choice for teaching to, say, 10 set 4.

My jaw has dropped at American Psycho. We had complaints over children reading How I Live Now when it won the Carnegie prize and we reccomended it. American Psycho being used as an A Level text...I take it all back. Clearly I know nothing!

Students loved it. It was taught by a very talented teacher. The results are consistently high.

This year they're doing Kindertransport as their play for AS. That's about pretty devastating stuff as well.

I don't think schools should avoid challenging texts, but they do have to be taught well.

Sorry to have offended any Drama teachers! I am just aware of the massive difference in direction the compass must be pointing. That's why I'm trying to get a 360 degree view on this, and hear everyone else's opinions, not just go with my knee-jerk reaction of 'This is awful'. I'm still not sure if DS will change courses or not but at least we have other views to consider now, so thank you everyone.

I meant DD. She is a girl. (Blimey I'm tired!)

I'll tell you what horrified me the most in recent years. The footage of the Lee Rigby murderers with the blood still on their hands. I a) nearly threw up and b) couldn't believe that TV stations and newspapers felt that those images were appropriate for national broadcast.

I am pretty liberal though. To listen to my students they never stop watching stuff like saw and game of thrones....

That's so sad. Perhaps it just goes to illustrate the different thresholds people have with all this, as comments above show. Some will have no trouble in seeing the blood and torture, others will not want to watch but feel they should face it, others aware of it and deeply upset by it and don't want to look at it.