Pinewood Castle

Poetry - Midsummer Night's Dream

Poetry - Paul Revere's Ride

Poetry - Christopher Columbus

Poetry - The Cow

Three stanzas! Such a brain builder . . .

 

 

The Cow

The friendly cow all red and white,
I love with all my heart:
She gives me cream with all her might,
To eat with apple-tart.

She wanders lowing here and there,
And yet she cannot stray,
All in the pleasant open air,
The pleasant light of day;

And blown by all the winds that pass
And wet with all the showers,
She walks among the meadow grass
And eats the meadow flowers.

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Poetry Night

One rainy Saturday I decided it was time to get Princess C. started on A Child's Garden of Verses. She memorized The Rain in a few hours, and practiced without ceasing so she would not forget by the time dad returned from Menards.

 

Princess L., the actress, presented George Washington by Stephen Vincent Benet:

 

Princess M. was supposed to be memorizing a portion of Henry V, but got distracted by another poem in The Harp and Laurel Wreath - Matilda Who Told Lies and was Burned to Death by Hilaire Belloc.

 

Prince J. finished America for Me by Henry Van Dyke.

 

Do you memorize poetry at your house too? Here's what works for us:

I usually follow the MODG plan using selections from The Harp and Laurel Wreath. Sometimes we make substitutions that better fit the season or interests of the child.

Next, I use Start Write to type out the poem in cursive so they have an example to copy from. Right now they fold the paper to show the stanza they are currently working on. I think for younger students (grades 1-3), copying on the line below the printed example would work better.

I ask the kids to record themselves reading their poem into the recorder on their iPod, and listen to the entire poem four days a week.

Each day they copy one line into their poetry notebook (in cursive grades 4+) and practice reciting up through the stanza they are on. This pace works out to be one stanza per week. Some of my kids prefer to practice sitting down, others need to pace in a circle or jump.

We also discuss the poem - the rhyme scheme, alliteration, the poet, and they look up definitions of any words they don't know.

The last week they illustrate their poem and recite for dad and the camera. This seems to be the most challenging part - they always encounter competition from The Littles, and sometimes we forget until the last minute before bed, after showers and PJs, which is why Princess L. has wet hair!

Poetry Night

A reader asked about the story boards - I read about this idea in the Summer 2011 issue of TOS in an article titled "17 Creative Ways to Connect with Literature" by Melissa Culver. This is also online here in PDF format. {Yeah for the internet.}

The latest round of memorized poetry at our house includes The Children's Hour by Longfellow (3rd grade), Christopher Columbus (4th), and The Jabberwocky (6th). All are selections from The Harp and Laurel Wreath. I try (and usually remember) to make an evening out of reciting the poems for Dad on a Friday night. Sometimes we get busy and forget, in which case I just video at The Teacher's Desk.

Do you believe an eight year old boy can memorize a ten stanza poem? Sure they can - bit by bit, copying one line a day, one stanza a week. {Yeah for the power of copy work.}

 The next clip begs for a little preface.

Here's our Sunshine, entertaining the crowd atop her rock at age three on the occasion of her little brother's 2nd birthday.

This was our first inkling she God made her with a flair for the dramatic. Well, maybe not the first inkling - that came around the age of four months with her wide open smiles.

 

She has always been a ham. Anyway, enjoy her rendition. Her infectious enthusiasm only ripens as she ages.

 

And here is Carroll's famous nonsense poem, perfect poetic fare for a courageous and giggly 6th grader.

 

I just love that MODG incorporates poetry in the curriculum - on so many levels. Poetry infuses vocabulary, rhyme, alliteration, descriptive language, rhythm, meter, patterns, and proportion. By looking up the background of a poem a child also makes connections with culture, history, and geography.

Recitation fosters public speaking skills and confidence. Like music, poetry is a positive contribution even a child can offer to friends, family, or even to an audience of nursing home residents. I can't even begin to explain how we have found poetry memorization to go hand-in-hand with their Suzuki music education. I think Andrew Pudewa can explain this much better that I can do in one little blog post.

Most importantly, a poem (or scripture) memorized by heart is often kept in the heart. It's not like the math worksheets dropped daily into the recycling bin. Poems continue to work in their hearts and minds. They are easily retrieved when seeking comfort, entertainment, connection, or even distraction. Sharing poetry touches the hearts of others, as Sunshine learned when she recited The Village Blacksmith to a real life blacksmith at an art fair. I have never seen a big and burly man so touched (or shocked?) that a little nine year old girl knew that poem. 

 

Thankful Thursday

It's not too late in the day is it?

There are a few things I would like to contribute to what has become my weekly gratitude journal:

:: I am married to the Best Dad in the World.

:: The four days of the baby's fever and two days of ear infections are over.

:: We finally figured out why the front lawn looks so bad - we have a grass fungus. At least we know what to do about it now.

:: It rained all week while two out of three children finished their official curriculum. We were not at all tempted to play hooky.

:: The kids aren't complaining too much about the music, math and reading maintainance schedule I have planned for the rest of the summer.

:: We finally replaced our defunct de-humidifier. Even though it runs in the basement, it helps reduce humidity in the entire house.

:: We took the time to read The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. This book exposed the kids to some topics not normally in our curriculum such as World War II, the immigrant experience, Maria's funny stories about her  mix-ups in learning English, death, etc. This book took a month longer than I had planned, but it was worth it.

:: I got the rest of next year's curriculum ordered and it looks like our costs are less than last year's.

:: I overcame my unfounded aversion to Aldi and saved a bunch of money in groceries last week. Maybe the kids can stay in music and ballet after all.

:: That I am making chicken chili for dinner tonight and the weather is not too hot to eat it.

:: That this summer's science study (Apologia's Flying Creatures) is off to a great start and they have free notebooking pages on the website.

:: My children memorize poetry. At an arts fesitval last Saturday we happened upon a blacksmith at work. Sunshine blew him away with her recitation of The Village Blacksmith and he  gave her this sample of his work as a token of his appreciation:

 

:: Even though my 4yo refuses to color she has no trouble building with Wedgits.

:: The praying mantis case hatched just in time for our flying creature study and a few of them survived.

:: My 7yo finally finished corking his recorder case in time for the last day of school.

Can you tell I am trying to be optimistic this week? The baby has had some incredibly crabby days, we have pink mold on our grass (and I am allergic to mold), it's been rainy, humid and cool all week, one child is six weeks behind, my preschooler refuses to color, most of the mantises died, and we are really trying to reduce the homeschooling and grocery bills. But all is still good. All of these discomforts are nothing in comparison to our many blessings!

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

- Psalm 107:1

Poetry Friday

This is Sunshine at her finest.Think I should sign her up for a drama class?

Poetry Friday

Oh my, it's now Sunday and this is two days late. Please forgive me. Notice the nostrils for a good chuckle. Just don't tell him or he'll never recite for the camera again. He's a precious one, this little guy!

Poetry Friday

 SEPTEMBER

by: Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

HE golden-rod is yellow;

The corn is turning brown;

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down.

 

The gentian's bluest fringes

Are curling in the sun;

In dusty pods the milkweed

Its hidden silk has spun.

 

The sedges flaunt their harvest,

In every meadow nook;

And asters by the brook-side

Make asters in the brook.

 

From dewy lanes at morning

The grapes' sweet odors rise;

At noon the roads all flutter

With yellow butterflies.

 

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather,

And autumn's best of cheer.

 

But none of all this beauty

Which floods the earth and air

Is unto me the secret

Which makes September fair.

 

'T is a thing which I remember;

To name it thrills me yet:

One day of one September

I never can forget.

Poetry Friday

Night-time stars and bonfires bright
Families and friends sing on good St. John's Night
Summer sun, the sweet smell of hay,
And Children all dancing on Midsummer Day.

At Midsummer time the fairies come out,
If children could see them with glee they would shout!
On Midsummer's Eve even gnomes try to dance,
In fairy-ring revels they awkwardly prance.
On Midsummer Day elves and fairies all fly
From acorns and buttercups up to the sky.

- Mala Powers

Poetry Friday

The Moon
by Robert Louis Stevenson