What is CM’s teaching on poetry memorization? Are we just supposed to read it and enjoy it or is it good to memorize it? Also, other than scripture memory, does she recommend any other memory work?
This year, I was lazy with our poetry. We have always memorized 7-9 poems per year with enjoyment and ease. I don’t know why I didn’t just skip the memorization of our poems and simply read them for enjoyment. Guess I didn’t really think about it.
Scripture memory is the first thing we do each day to begin our school. I think it is most important.
I can’t think of any other memory work CM recommended. I do know it was common even 100 years ago for children and adults to memorize passages from books and plays solely for enjoyment. I can think of a few things that Laura Ingalls memorized that weren’t Bible verses or poems.
We too memorize around 7 poems a year focusing on one poet a year. This year is Robert Louis Stevenson. I have them memorize one stanza at a time (looking up words they don’t know and dissussing what the stanza means) and then we add another stanza when that one is memorized until they have the whole thing down. This takes us less than 5 minuets a day. On Friday’s I have them recite all of the past poems we have worked on from that poet. We also memorize scripture. Since December they have been working on Matthew 18. As of right now they have up to verse 14 memorized by using the same method as in poetry. Other than these two things we don’t memorize anything else (other than our math facts of course).
If poetry is read for enjoyment on a regular basis, it will eventually be memorized. I read to my 2 year old last year Robert Louis Stevenson poems and she can recite them now that she is 3. (in her baby language) Just choose a favorite poet and read. It’s the icing on the CM cake. 🙂
We set up a “Poetry Memory System” similar to the Scripture Memory system. We memorize very short poems (but my kids are still very little). We do the new one every day until it’s memorized – usually a week or 2 at most – and the old ones just once in a while, like every other week or once a month or so. On CM’s list for a 6yo, she does have some poems memorized on there. I forget offhand how many – maybe 5 or 6? I can’t remember if it’s on the 12yo list.
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