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Memorizing Poetry and more
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It has been heavy on my mind lately to start having my children memorize passages for recitation. We have done some Scripture in the past, but very little poetry. So far, I found two links helpful, but I still have questions on their application to a weekly schedule. I understand more the importance of recitation to the value of their overall education. http://www.charlottemasonhelp.com/2011/08/how-we-organize-memory-work.html
https://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/recitation-and-memorization/
I have an 8 yo and a 11 yo. I think the 11 yo could do it on their own. So would they read the passage aloud daily or every other day? Do they need to read it to me or someone? And I think the 8 yo would need my help. So all I do is read it aloud once a day or every other day? And do you alternate memory work with poetry one day, hymn another day and Scripture on another day? Or are they all done daily? At what point does the child recite rather than listen?
My 7 year old has memorized 3 poems so far. I let her choose one that she feels comfortable with. She starts by using it as copywork. She generally memorizes it pretty quickly. I work the poems in during memory work the same way I do with scripture. We got a bit off track on reviewing memory work for a bit so, she forgot most of one of the poems. At the end of our school year I will have her recite what she knows for her Daddy.
My children (ages 9 and 7) have memorized a variety of Scripture and poems. I prefer to have them actively learning only one at a time.
For instance, we have been learning the Beattitudes for Scripture Memory. We would repeat it together during breakfast each day, adding in one verse every few days. During this time, I have been reading aloud a poem each day for enjoyment. Sometimes we discuss the poem (what it means, how it makes them feel, what it reminds them of, what words rhyme, or does it rhyme, etc.) Since I feel confident that my children have learned The Beattitudes well, we will copy them into each child’s Memory Book. That is where all memorized pieces end up! (but not individual verses – I use the Scripture Memory Box for reviewing those) Each day, for recitations, each child recites a passage from his or her Memory Book. I simply move the sticky note to the next passage for the next day. When we get to the end, we begin again.
For memorizing poetry, with very little exception, I allow the child to choose a poem he or she particularly enjoyed and would like to memorize. They do not necessarily choose the short ones or easy ones. For a non-reader (or not so independent reader), I read it individually with the child each day, encouraging him to say the parts he knows, sometimes even stopping and letting him finish the verse. For my independent reader, I have her read it aloud daily (at least the first time to me, then to herself for practice), encouraging her to cover up the parts she “knows” then check to see if she was right. She loves the challenge of this. Some children may not….
Like the Scripture passages, when a poem is memorized, it is added to the Memory Book for recitation. Then we begin again learning a Scripture passage… Rinse and Repeat. 🙂
Thank you. So is your Memory Work, Recitations, and Scripture Memory (verse cards) each done separately, daily?
Yes, we usually do those separately.
Bible memory work at breakfast time
Reading poetry and Recitations at family lesson time
Memorizing poems during individual lesson time
But as I mentioned above, if learning a new poem then just reviewing Scripture. If learning Scripture passage, then not memorizing poetry. Hope that made sense!
I’m starting poetry recitation as well! I’ve allowed my girls (12, 10, and 7) to choose their fave poem, print it out, then read a few times daily during their individual work time. My 7 yr old likes to practice out loud for all to hear. 😉 I’m even memorizing my fave poem to recite to get them more excited.
Tara
Here’s a peek into how we incorporate recitation and memorization into our school days. Maybe it will give you a few ideas! 🙂
~Anna
Thanks everyone.
So, Anna, your children are working on three pieces each day? Scripture, a longer poem as a family, and a child’s poem of choice? How do you add in memory work for speeches, facts, hymns, and folksongs? Would you do one of these rather than the longer family poem? I liked your blog post and I hope to start them with some Robert Louis Stevenson or A.A. Milne.
And another thought…do you think it would matter what time of day the memory work is done? Like if it were done at bedtime. Or is it better in the morning when their minds are fresh and rested?
We do scripture memory, hymn and family poem (if we’re working on one) daily.
The children work on memorizing their individual poems daily as part of their independent work. (I help the non-readers.)
We have “poetry day” once a week. Each of the children recite the poem she is working on individually, and we also review older “family” poems together.
We work on our folksong once per week.
~Anna
Here is another approach (excuse me if these ideas were in the links, I didn’t read them) …
Choose a poem from your poet study. Use that poem as the copywork for younger children one day that week or as many days as is needed for age/stage of the child. The older child works on memorization during their lesson time. For us, this translated to a few minutes a day spent in concentration on it – this might be in the car, waiting for a lesson, on the potty, etc. Then on a set day they recite aloud to as many as you can gather.
It might look like this:
- Monday – poem assigned.
- Tuesday – copywork / concentrated 5-10 minutes of study.
- Wednesday – same.
- Thursday – same, but might include an oral “practice”.
- Friday – recitation.
Thank you all. So far we have worked on a longer family poem we all like: Wynken, Blynken and Nod. We have read it a few times in the past.
I read it aloud four nights in a row at bedtime and we all said the first of four parts together. By now, my 8 y.o. can say all of the first part! She says it is easy and she likes to recite it. Though at first I had to remind her to “say beautiful words in a beautiful way”. I am impressed! I regret not doing this sooner. But they are now looking forward to filling their own books of memory work.
I should clarify that we do not regularly learn single Scripture verses. We did in the beginning when oldest was in first grade, and occasionally we (as a family) may have a particular verse we want to learn. Since we are not actively adding to our Scripture Memory Box, I just use the numbered slots. So today is the first, we reviewed 1. I use the day slots in the Memory Box for math facts for my seven year old. I do not use the even/odd or daily right now at all. While we were learning the current Scripture passage, I had it displayed at the kitchen table on a little stand I made with cardboard and scrapbook paper.
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