Foreign Lands by Robert Louis Stevenson

Poetry Memorization (3rd Grade)

Objectives:
• To memorize the poem list throughout the course of the year, reviewing all previously memorized poems before starting a new one.
• Review 2nd grade poems after every other new poem.
• Discuss what the poet is saying with the poem, illustrate and copy the poem in the poetry notebook.
• This year discuss:

- simile: a figure of speech used to make a comparison between two things, usually with the words “like” "same" or “as”.

- metaphor: comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way.

- alliteration: the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words. ("poor but proud," "hale and hearty," "green as grass," "live and learn")

- onomatopoeia: a word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing, suggesting its source object, such as "click," "clang," "buzz," or animal noises such as "oink", "quack", "flap", "slurp", or "meow".

• Read about Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost, Vachel Lindsay and Kenneth Grahame for poet studies, complete a notebooking page about each poet throughout the year, one per quarter.

The Poems

First Quarter, Fall
Bird Talk by Aileen Fisher | metaphor
Merry Sunshine by Anonymous | onomatopoeia
Foreign Lands by Robert Louis Stevenson | onomatopoeia
Windy Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson
Bed in Summer* by Robert Louis Stevenson (poet biography)

Second Quarter, Winter
Animal Crackers by C. Morley | alliteration
The Wind by Robert Louis Stevenson |onomatopoeia, alliteration
Furry Bear by A.A. Milne | alliteration
A Christmas Carol (move to Christmas time) |simile
Stopping by the Woods by Robert Frost (poet biography) |alliteration, metaphor

Third Quarter, Spring
My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson | simile, alliteration
Land of Counterpane by Robert Louis Stevenson |metaphor
The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson |alliteration
The Hayloft by Robert Louis Stevenson | alliteration, metaphor
The Little Turtle by Vachel Lindsay (poet biography) | onomatopoeia

Fourth Quarter, Summer
The Lamplighter by Robert Louis Stevenson | alliteration
Where Go the Boats by Robert Louis Stevenson | metaphor
Some One by Walter de la Mare | onomatopoeia
Song of Mr. Toad by Kenneth Grahame (poet biography) | alliteration
Psalm 100

*Bed in Summer has already been memorized but will be presented again. If I have anything identified incorrectly for metaphor, alliteration, simile and onomatopoeia, I would appreciate being corrected because in a way, this is my 3rd grade year again too.

Our Memory CDs & How

What is on our Monday & Wednesday memory CD. I've been working on these lately and I had to record a few poems and if I could figure out how to add audio to my blog from my computer I would. I'm creating 2 CDs, one for Mon/Wed and one for Tues/Thurs, each approximately 30 minutes long. This is so Camille can go to her room and I can work with Danny- or at least that is the plan. We will still go over this stuff together in the context of our lessons.

I have Tues/Thurs' CD done but I need to revise it. My 'plan' is to create two CDs per quarter so there will be 8 CDs total a year. Tues/Thurs contains Veritas Press history song, french vocabulary songs, books of the Bible songs, poetry just like this one does and Themes to Remember songs.

Download Audacity for free here, I then Import into iTunes and burn to disc. The part that takes the longest is figuring out what to put on the Cd and what order.

How I Created Our CDs:

1. Figure out what operating system your computer runs on, aka OS system. Download the appropriate Audacity version for your computer.

2. Do you have an internal mic on your computer or external? You may need to purchase an external mic.

3. Open Audacity, hit the red circle button to record. Press the square to stop recording. Preview, if you're happy then Save File As under the FILE menu. I saved mine as .wav files

4. I have iTunes so then I opened iTunes and Import (under FILE menu) the .wav file I had created. I created one .wav file for each poem or track for the CD.

5. In iTunes I created a Playlist and placed the tracks how I wanted the CD to play, when I had all the tracks I wanted, I burned the Playlist to a Music CD-R CD.

A Memory CD

Danny gets time alone in his room everyday but I haven't been doing the same for Camille. Having Camille take independent time will help me be able to focus on Danny for a period of time so I will stagger their "room" time to make one-on-one time possible. When I give Camille schoolwork to do she needs me still so this interrupts the time with Danny, which isn't helpful in keeping him on task for longer than 30 seconds.

My solution? A memory CD that Camille is to listen to each day in her room. Once the CD is done, her independent time is over and if it ends too soon, I'll have her read a chapter of the book she is currently reading after the CD.

What is on the CD?

1. Grammar songs/chants from First Language Lessons audio CD
2. Poems she has memorized from First Language Lessons
3. -I need record other poems that she's memorized that aren't available as audio-
4. Skip counting songs for 6's, 7's, 8's and 9's
5. Themes to Remember songs with lyrics and without
6. Books of the Bible memory songs (Old Testament and New Testament)
7. French ABCs and counting to 20
   

She's not an audiobook child unless she's able to read along with the audio. Other items I want to add are memorization pieces I've chosen for the year for science and history. I need to record the Veritas Press History card titles for the Medieval period because we cannot stand the way it is sung on the VP cd.

I think this will be a great tool to help me accomplish our goals while teaching two children. Listening everyday will soak in, right??? Lol. I need to make one for Danny as well with Bible songs, ABCs and other preschool songs about colors, shapes, etc.

Check out Mindy's memory cd post: http://magnumopusacademy.blogspot.com/2007/11/about-out-memory-cd.html
And more on digital voice recorders, you WILL be tempted.

Reciting 'True Nobility'

What a stolen moment in time, she's about to lose her two front teeth, probably before Christmas. Camille is reciting "True Nobility" by Edgar Guest, which is on the right sidebar at the bottom if you'd like the text.

Loving Edgar Guest

A Book, by Edgar Guest

“Now” - said a good book unto me -
“Open my pages and you shall see
Jewels of wisdom and treasures fine,
Gold and silver in every line,
And you may claim them if you but will
Open my pages and take your fill.

“Open my pages and run them o’er,
Take what you choose of my golden store.
Be you greedy, I shall not care -
All that you seize I shall gladly spare;
There is never a lock on my treasure doors,
Come - here are my jewels, make them yours!

“I am just a book on your mantel shelf,
But I can be part of your living self;
If only you’ll travel my pages through,
Then I will travel the world with you.
As two wines blended make better wine,
Blend your mind with these truths of mine.

“I’ll make you fitter to talk with men,
I’ll touch with silver the lines you pen,
I’ll lead you nearer the truth you seek,
I’ll strengthen you when your faith grows weak -
This place on your shelf is a prison cell,
Let me come into your mind to dwell!”

Set up a Poetry Notebook

This was posted by someone named Lisa D., several years ago. I think she posted it on the WTM boards, or it may have been on a classical education board. This is typed word for word by the original poster’s directions:

Poetry Notebooks:

For each grade level, there are enough (or more than enough, in some cases) poems to fill up a blank book from Miller Pads and Paper. The Miller blank books are very inexpensive, and have 14 front and back pages each (28 surfaces). For each poem that you insert in the book, you will leave the opposite page blank for your child to illustrate that poem.

Here’s how I usually arrange my books. When I open the front cover of the book, I attach my first poem to the front side of the first actual page of the book. For this page, I usually choose one of the shortest poems in the packet, so my son can illustrate this poem underneath the text. (This means that you will want to place the poem toward the top of the page, to allow plenty of room at the bottom for the illustrations). On the back side of the first page, I attach the second poem. The illustration for the second poem will be on the front side of the second page (opposite the text, giving you a 2 page spread for each poem/illustration).

The pattern goes the same way for the rest of the book. If you want to put more poems in the book than you have space for, you can use the same method as for the first poem in the book. Simply put some of the shorter poems toward the top of your page, and allow them to illustrate underneath.

To attach the poems to the book, use only double-stick tape. (Rubber cement, glue, etc., will make a bumpy mess of your page, and it will not lay smooth). Simply trim the poem down to size, preferably with a paper cutter, and then proceed with the double stick tape.

Memorization: I prefer to use Katherine Bell’s memorization techniques found on her website her website. This involves an audio recorder and tapes, plus headphones. I let my son listen to the selection that he is memorizing daily. It’s amazing how quickly this repetition cements the poetry in his little head. Usually, I will quiz him on what he’s learning 1-2 times a week, just to make sure that he is really paying attention. I also have him recite his poems frequently to family. He has to speak loud, clearly, and slowly. He is not allowed to fidget around, look down, etc… I keep a separate audio tape with all the selections he has memorized so far for the year. This is a review tape that he hears once or so a week, just to keep fresh the other selections that he has memorized. The method is, for the most part, a hands free method of memorization for the parent. (Other than recording the poems on tape in your own voice, and occasionally reminding them to go listen to their tapes.)

Remember you are not bound to these poems. These are a great representation of many of the good poems out there, but if you come across one that you would like to include, just go ahead the type it up and trade it out for one of the other poems. Or if you want to shuffle around the poems from one grade level to another, go right ahead. I think I already mentioned this in my original post, but the order of the historical selections in the poetry selection follows the grade-level order for Veritas History. (Beginning with Ancient Egypt in 2nd grade, and ending with American History in 6th grade). If you are following a different course of history, just shuffle these poems around to fit with your own plan.

Here is the poetry list:

First Grade
Psalm 1
Psalm 23
Psalm 100
I Sing the Mighty Power of God
Mr. Nobody
The Lamb
A Little Brother Follows Me
Hurt No Living Thing
The Wind
The Swing
End of Summer Poem
Bed in Summer
Animal Crackers
At the Zoo
A Good Play
(Extras: Beautiful and 30 Days Hath September)

Second Grade
Psalm 8
Books of the Bible
Silent Night
Oxymandias of Egypt
Ten Plagues
The Red Rose Says . . .
Song of the Grass Blades
Which Loved Best
If You Were
Results and Roses
How the Little Kite Learned to Fly
The Moon
Pirate Story
Children’s Hour
When Mother Reads Aloud
My Shadow

Third Grade
Psalm 113
10 Commandments
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Try, Try Again
The Grumble Family
A Land Unknown
Rules for Talking
Blessings of Prayer
The Violet
Sunrise
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
The Seagull
The Harvest
Vegetables
The Duel

Fourth Grade
1 Corinthians 13
Philippians 2: 1-18
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
A Humble Heart
The Captain’s Daughter
Can and Can’t
Sermons We See
Father Mapple’s Hymn
Friendship
Red Geraniums
Daffodils
The Eagle
The Snow (It Sifts from Leaden Sieves)
Captain Kidd
Sonnet XXX (Shakespeare)

Fifth Grade
Isaiah 53
Amazing Grace
Declaration of Independence
Preamble to the Constitution
Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers
The Charge of the Light Brigade
Concord Hymn
The Flag Goes By
America
All Things Beautiful
Matilda
What Have We Done Today?
Sin and Its Cure
Beautiful Things

Sixth Grade
Ephesians 6
O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Gettysburg Address
Churchill Speeches
In Flanders Fields
The New Colossus
It Can Be Done
America the Beautiful
Somebody’s Mother
The Loom of Time
The Road Not Taken
Little Boy Blue
If
Crossing the Bar
If I Had This or That

2nd Grade Poetry Memorization

We are using First Language Lessons as our grammar curriculum, which has poetry memorization as part of it's course. There are four new poems to be memorized in the second grade level, in addition to the ones memorized in the first grade level.

In addition to the new four poems in FLL, we'll memorize:

From The Harp and Laurel Wreath

1. Rain by Robert Louis Stevenson
2. Happy Thought by Robert Louis Stevenson
3. Singing by Robert Louis Stevenson
4. Time to Rise by Robert Louis Stevenson
5. Singing Time by Rose Ryleman

*The poems by Robert Louis Stevenson will be bilingual French/English memorization, they are short enough, "Singing" will be the last one we do in both languages since it is two stanzas long. There is a French/English version of "A Child's Garden of Verses".

For character during the year, because I like to read something when character issues crop up and then discuss it, especially with my dd.

From The Book of Virtues:

1. Anger by Charles and Mary Lamb
2. A Child's Prayer by M. Benthram-Edwards
3. True Nobility by Edgar Guest
4. Try, Try Again by Anonymous
5. Can't by Edgar Guest
6. Only A Dad by Edgar Guest

Anger
by Charles and Mary Lamb

Anger in its time and place
May assume a kind of grace.
It must have some reason in it,
And not last beyond a minute.

If to further lengths it go,
It does into malice grow.
'Tis the difference that we see
'Twixt the serpent and the bee.

If the latter you provoke,
It inflicts a hasty stroke,
Puts you to some little pain,
But it never stings again.

Close in tufted bush or brake
Lurks the poison-swellëd snake
Nursing up his cherished wrath;
In the purlieux of his path,

In the cold, or in the warm,
Mean him good, or mean him harm,
Whensoever fate may bring you,
The vile snake will always sting you.


A Child's Prayer
by Margaret Betham-Edwards

God, make my life a little light
Within the world to glow;
A little flame that burneth bright
Wherever I may go.

God, make my life a little flower
That giveth joy to all,
Content to bloom in native bower,
Although the place be small.

God, make my life a little song
That comforteth the sad,
That helpeth others to be strong
And makes the singer glad.

God, make my life a little staff
Whereon the weak may rest,
And so what health and strength I have
May serve my neighbors best.

God, make my life a little hymn
Of tenderness and praise;
Of faith, that never waxeth dim,
In all His wonderous ways.

*This will be our new bedtime prayer and I'm printing and laminating it to have it above both our children's beds.


True Nobility
by Edgar Guest

Who does his task from day to day
And meets whatever comes his way,
Believing God has willed it so.
Has found real greatness here below.

Who guards his post, no matter where,
Believing god must need him there,
Although but lowly toil it be,
Has risen to nobility.

For great and low there's but one test:
`Tis that each man shall do his best.
Who works with all the strength he can
Shall never die in debt to man.


Try, Try Again
by Anonymous

'Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again;
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again;
Then your courage should appear,
For, if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear;
Try, try again.


Can't
by Edgar Guest

Can't is the worst word that's written or spoken;
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning
And robs us of courage we need through the day;
It rings in our ears like a timely sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.

Can't is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and halfhearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.

Can't is a word none should speak without blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man's purpose and shortens his aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgement it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you someday shall gain.

Can't is the word that is foe to ambition
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and skill.
Hate it, with hatred that's deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed 'twill break any man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: "I can."

*"Can't" is to be read and discussed when the problem arises, it may be recited by the offender...hmm.


Only A Dad
Edgar Guest

Only a dad with a tired face,
Coming home from the daily race,
Bringing little of gold or fame
To show how well he has played the game;
But glad in his heart that his own rejoice
To see him come and to hear his voice.

Only a dad with a brood of four,
One of ten million men or more
Plodding along in the daily strife,
Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,
With never a whimper of pain or hate,
For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,
Merely one of the surging crowd,
Toiling, striving from day to day,
Facing whatever may come his way,
Silent whenever the harsh condemn,
And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad but he gives his all,
To smooth the way for his children small,
Doing with courage stern and grim
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is the line that for him I pen:
Only a dad, but the best of men.

Other poems I would like to read throughout the year just for reading:

• Let Dogs Delight by Isaac Watts
• He Prayeth Best by Samuel Coleridge (from Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
• Old and Quiet Pond by Basho (after reading "Grass Sandals")
• Little Things by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
• I Like It When It's Mizzly by Aileen Fisher
• I Heard a Bird Sing by Oliver Herford
• Long, Long Ago (a Christmas poem)
• The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Two Lessons by John Ciardi
• Who Has Seen the Wind? by Christina Rosetti
• What Do The Stars Do? by Christina Rosetti
• The Mist and All by Dixie Willson
• The Fly by Christopher Smart
• The Moon by R. L. Stevenson
• Our Saviour's Golden Rule by Isaac Watts
• Fishy-Fishy in the Brook - nursery rhyme
• The Boy That Never Sees from CLP Nature Reader, Volume 2

Poetry is very important to me, these poems listed at the end are ones that fellow homeschoolers shared that they use for 2nd grade. Other posts about Poetry memorization: Why?

Even Such Is Time . . .

Even Such Is Time . . .
by Sir Walter Raleigh

Even such is Time, that takes in trust
Our youth, our joys, our all we have,
And pays us but with earth and dust;
Who, in the dark and silent grave,
When we have wandered all our ways,
Shuts up the story of our days;
But from this earth, this grave, this dust,
My God shall raise me up, I trust.

The poem we read aloud today during our lessons. Dh and I were talking today about wishing there was a way to index all our books' contents. If we want to find a reading about trees, then we could type in 'trees' into our wonderful imaginary indexing software and book titles would appear with page numbers. Oh how wonderful that would be and efficient too. Does it exist? Surely, it must in this day and age. Amazon has a feature where you can spend a $1 or so more and be able to view a book you purchased online but this wouldn't work for all our books.

There is joy in flipping through a book and finding a new treasure while you're looking for a particular one. This is what happened today, I was looking for a poem to describe a toddler growing up. Danny's daybed crib has now been disassembled and stored away, he's sleeping in a full size bed now. Camille and I launched Danny into his next phase with a couple screws. I'm just a little remorseful about this. He's talking much better now, although not complete sentences but he's improving.

Our discipline efforts with Danny have found a comfortable place. He may not obey the first time but I've decided that between his stubborness and mine mixed with dh's impatience this wasn't a good combination. So I relaxed a little and it has made ALL the difference. Dh has been feeling a little left out lately because I've become Danny's favorite again. Who knew that he could be so rambunctious one minute and sweet as sugar the next? I did. I forgot because I was so wrapped up in trying to establish first-time obedience in our home. Camille obeys very well and she's very compliant which can be confusing when you're bouncing between two children all day long. I don't know how other parents do it with larger families. God bless them.

Anyways, if you know a good indexing system like the one we're dreaming about, will you tell me about it?

A Verse Here, A Poem There

One of our new passions is poetry. Camille has blossomed by bounds since I started poetry memorization with her. She is very diligent about memorizing and just burst with pride when she's able to say a poem without prompt or help.

After reading about poetry and exploring it a little more, I made the decision to incorporate it into our day as much as possible. What most people don't realize is that poetry covers many types of verse. Most children's book are rhymed, and songs are considered poetry as well. In fact, a lot of times instead of singing a hymn, I'll read it as a poem.

Here's a few resources that you can look at to include poetry into your day.

Overall Memorization:
The Harp and Laurel Wreath by Laura M. Berquist
I really cannot recommend this highly enough, this book covers Grammar through Rhetoric stages and is filled with wonderful scripture and poems to memorize by increasing degrees.

The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett
This book's primary purpose is to provide moral stories but within it's volume are countless poems that you can use.

A Child's Introduction to Poetry: Listen While You Learn About the Magic Words That Have Moved Mountains, Won Battles, and Made Us Laugh and Cry by Michael Driscoll
This book comes with a CD and although I'm not one for books that look too busy, Camille loves it. The poems are fun and simple.

Classic Poems to Read Aloud by James Berry
This book is nice but I only have it because I bought it at Goodwill. There are other books you can buy that have the same poems, such as The Oxford Book of Children's Verse in America by Donald Hall.

A treasury of great poems, English and American with the Lives of the Poets selected and integrated by Louis Untermeyer
This book is wonderful it contains wonderful poems as well as a little biography about the poet, and has both American and English poets.

If you like Rudyard Kipling, you'll love Rudyard Kipling's Verse: Definitive Edition
There are many poems that you can incorporate into history studies with this book.

A New Treasury of Poetry Compiled by Neil Philip
This is a wonderful book and we love the black and white illustrations throughout.

Of course there are many compliation poetry books but once you obtain a few you find that a lot of poems are repeated throughout them. I think I have Jabberwocky in most of them! Lol. These are books I've picked up from Goodwill, thrift stores and antique stores, with the exception of The Harp and Laurel Wreath (which I bought new), I don't think I paid more than $6 for any of these.

For particular subjects:
These are a few books I've found that I feel are gems. I've found that I tend to like any book by Jack Prelutsky, Lee Bennett Hopkins and William Cole.

History:
Susan Altman has done some wonderful books that fit perfectly with our history studies.
Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times Ancient Greece (Ancient Africa, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome are other titles).

Dancing in the Wind: Poetry and Art of the British Isles by Charles Sullivan
An amazing book that can carry you from the Middle Ages to present times.

U.S. History:
A Star-spangled Birthday: A Celebration in Song, Poetry, Facts, and Trivia
My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes by J. Patrick Lewis (also has world figures as well)

The Book of Virtues, The Harp and Laurel Wreath and other books I mentioned as overall poetry books also have wonderful historical poems.

Science:
Dinosaurs Forever by William Wise
A fun book published by Scholastic, mixes fun with science facts about the dinosaurs. The illustrations are very kid-friendly and the poems themselves are fanciful.

An Arkful of Animals by William Cole
This is a wonderful book to have as you study animals, we are incorporating this in with ours.

Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up by Lisa Peters
Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the Earth by Marilyn Singer
A Pocketful of Starts: Poems about the Night
Talking Like the Rain: A Read-to-Me Book of Poems by X.J. Kennedy

These books are great for adding poems to your nature journal or in helping discuss a topic. I've found it's best to find a poem and photocopy it or type/print it out and just stick in your child's science notebook. That way, when you come to that topic you won't be looking the poem up in a book, it'll be right there to enjoy. Plus, if you do a little work beforehand, you'll tend to not forget about it altogether.

Pass the Poetry, Please! by Lee Bennett Hopkins is worth looking at, there is information about poets and the different books they have written. It is a wonderful resource about how to use poetry with children and book suggestions. There are also activities and games to bring poetry alive with your students and how to teach poetry to older students. (It was written for classroom but it is just as valuable to the homeschool parent.)

There are many other poetry books worth mentioning but I don't have time. I have many other books on my wishlist for purchasing that are geared toward particular subjects in science, math and history.

Great Article on Poetry and Memorization

I'm linking an article by Michael Knox Beran about poetry and memorization in education.

Kids need both the poetry and the memorization. As educators have known for centuries, these exercises deliver unique cognitive benefits, benefits that are of special importance for kids who come from homes where books are scarce and the level of literacy low. In addition, such exercises etch the ideals of their civilization on children’s minds and hearts.

I'm am quickly becoming a huge fan of poetry and memorization in education- especially homeschool. Why? Because I see the evidence of it in my own daughter. In fact, the importance of poetry is portrayed in most children's books that are written in rhyme. Love Dr. Suess? It is one of those little undeniable facts that we miss as we read books to our children. I'm blown away at my daughter's ability to memorize poems, she's already memorized some of Robert Louis Stevenson's poems- Bed in Summer, A Thought, At the Sea-Side, Whole Duty of Children, Auntie's Skirts and The Cow. She's also memorized The Lord's Prayer, The Caterpillar by Christina G. Rosetti, Work by Anonymous, Hearts are Like Doors by Anonymous. We started in July! Now if I had understood how poetry and children work from the beginning, she'd have even more memorized by now.

Guess what her favorite part of each lesson is right now? It's whatever poem I've found it read alongside what we're studying. I'll talk about this more in an upcoming post, How To Use Poetry in Lessons.

Why Poetry?

Here's a glimpse of what others have said about poetry and children.



Kym Wright, printed in Practical Homeschooling #18, 1997

Poetry

Loving the wonderful poems of Robert Frost and others, I make a beeline for any portions of curriculum that deal with rhyme. We include reading and writing verse, to satisfy my desire to instill in them a fondness for poetry, while teaching them how to write it themselves. Encouraging my children to "just write a poem" doesn't work, so we use a program for writing poetry to continue for several weeks or more. Sometimes, it helps to use a topical resource from the library. Reading poetry with everyone encourages "familiness" that we so enjoy, but they write on their own level. Beginning with the basics, we practice specific points each week: identifying rhyming words (those with the same vowel and ending sounds); saying words that rhyme with a word I give; writing couplets (two sentences or lines that rhyme at the end); composing a simple rhyming poem; haiku, cinquain, multiple verses; and so on.

Sylvia M. Vardell, Ph.D. and Mem Fox

Poetry helps children move forward in their literacy development by introducing new vocabulary and figurative language, reinforcing phonemic awareness through sounds and rhymes. It is rich in imagery and sensory language and stimulating to the imagination. It is meant to be spoken and heard, and thus provides practice for oral language development, listening, and oral fluency. Author and literacy expert Mem Fox states, "Rhymers will be readers; it's that simple. Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they're four years old, they're usually among the best readers by the time they're eight." (From Reading Magic: What Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, Harcourt, 2001)

David Campbell, author quotes Mem Fox

Poetry's important role is emphasised by Mem Fox on her website: "Children adore rhyme, rhythm and repetition . . . Young children are mesmerised and enchanted by a predictable pattern of language which is fun for them to say and pleasing for them to hear."

Poetry is thus a wonderful tool in the development of language, reading and writing. Rhymes and chants help children to see the relationship between oral and written language and assist in developing listening and concentration skills.



Most importantly, poetry is meant to be read aloud. Mem Fox tells us to: "Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don't be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot."

Charlotte Mason from PART V - Lessons As Instruments Of Education in The Original Homeschooling Series

Reciting and memorizing are two different things. It is good to store a lot of poetry in a child's memory, and it doesn't have to take any work to learn it. A few years ago I visited a lady who was raising her niece using her own educational approach. She handed me an oversized sheet of writing paper with the names of poems. Some were long, difficult poems, such as Tintern Abbey. She said that her niece could repeat any of them that I wanted, yet she had never consciously attempted to learn a single verse by heart. The girl did repeat several of the poems on the list, quite beautifully and without stumbling.



Then the lady told me her secret. She thought she had stumbled on an amazing discovery, and I agreed. Here's what she would do. She would read a poem all the way through to the girl. The next day, while the girl was sewing a doll's dress or something, she would read it again. She might read it the next day while brushing the girl's hair. She would get in maybe six days of this, depending on the length of the poem, reading the poem at various times, once during each day. And after a few days, the girl could say the poem that she 'had not learned.'

Ruth Beechick, Language and Thinking for Young Children (K-3)
pg. 45, Enjoying Poetry

"Poetry expands the child's knowledge of English sounds, words, rhythms, phonics, sentence forms, and other aspects of language itself. And poetry expands the child's way of looking at the world and his life.



How can you know when you have taught your child to enjoy and appreciate poetry? When you see the child do one or more of the following:

1. Ask for you to read or say a poem.

2. Say parts of a poem for the fun of it.

3. Use prayer poems.

4. Laugh at funny poems.

5. Recite one or more poems from memory.

6. Express his thoughts in rhythm and rhyme."

Laura Berquist, The Harp and Laurel Wreath: Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum

From the Introduction

Little children are good at memorization: they pick up jumping-rope rhymes and dogerel verses without effort. Encourage this inclination and ability by having the children memorize fine poetry, among other things. This will strengthen the imagination and memory, as well as prepare the children for subsequent stages of intellectual development. Since poetry draws attention to specific aspects of experience, regular exposure to poetry will reinforce children's observational powers.

Read this article: Using Poetry to Teach about Minerals in Earth Science Class



Poems in Math Class? Yeah, Write! by Greg Tang


Poetry Memorization: Methods and Resources by Susan Wise Bauer


A Children's What? by the editors of The Poetry Foundation





As you can probably tell, I'm researching poetry and it's use in a child's education. I will be sharing some wonderful resources I've found and the books that are the most highly recommended.