You can easily and effectively teach your children poetry reading and writing. You will know the secrets I know as a poet and student of poetry!
But as homeschooling parents you may be saying, "I don't have time" or "there's too many other important subjects like, Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic" or "I don't know anything about poetry, let alone teaching my child to write it."
Why is poetry important anyway? In these days of fast-paced TV shows and unlimited online games, why does this subject even matter? First of all, what captures your children's attention? Is it the latest essay written in a textbook or is it the coolest lyrics from their favorite Christian or secular rock group?
What is one of the most popular TV shows of all time? American Idol!
Poetry is as vitally important today as when it was in Shakespeare's time during the Elizabethan age! Poetry (in today's forms of lyrics) influences culture, which influences your children. Will it be for good or for bad?
Another reason why it's important to teach poetry is because it will teach your children how to communicate effectively and concisely. In this information age, I can't emphasize enough how important this is! It's the websites with excellent content that their audiences want that are making the most money. And face it, the Internet is here to stay! Mastering this skill of clearly communicating is vitally important in our changing economy!
I have heard it said that tomorrow's leaders will be the ones who possess creativity in great measure. Isn't that why we homeschool--so our kids will stand out as salt and light in a dark world?
Now that we're on the same page about why poetry is so important, I would like to share with you three easy and effective ways to teach poetry to any age child.
1) Find great examples. Teach the classic poets, definitely. Classic poets teach us about the power and beauty of words, timeless messages that touch people in profound ways, and the basic structure and flow of language.
A great place to start is Robert Frost's Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. With this poem, you can teach about rhyming, rhythm, stanzas, and more. And as Christmas approaches, this poem is a perfect one to help you and your family get in that merry mood for the season!
Another great poet is Walt Whitman. He is one of the first free verse poets and you can tie your lesson in with American history! Of course, you can't lose by teaching Shakespeare. Combine learning his sonnets with going on a field trip to attend a Shakespeare play. Unbeatable!
2) Make it fun! I can't stress this enough. If you make poetry a drag, you will not be able to teach your children at all about it. As once was told to me, you can approach learning with a "Doberman Pincher" or a "Puppy Dog" attitude. Children learn better under the latter scenario.
How can you make it fun? Well, since it's almost Christmas, how about the famous poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas? Or Dr. Seuss is always fun, and yes, it is a type of poetry. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is full of wonderful learning possibilities.
Shel Silverstein is always a delight for young readers. Reading his poetry gives children much reading pleasure and is great fodder for inspiration. Then there are the words. Putting together words can be lots of fun.
Playing with a poetry magnet set can provide plenty of laughs while at the same time providing ample writing instruction. Another great game for learning poetry is ad libs. Why not create an ad lib for a poem? This could provide hours of fun and education.
3) Publish it! When your students have finished writing their poetry, be sure to publish it! Have them draw illustrations and then use a service like Blurb to show it to the world!
Or, have your students make a book the old-fashioned way--write out the poetry in their best handwriting (behold, a copywork lesson), have them draw some illustrations (art lesson), three-whole punch the paper, put a nice cover on it and tie the book together with a fancy ribbon. Then as an economic lesson, have your students sell the books as a business venture! To make it even more special, laminate the pages and have your children give the book as Christmas presents to their grandparents!
That's it! Three very simple, fun, and effective ways that will help you reach new heights in your homeschooling!
And now that you've been given the knowledge to make your poetry lessons easy and effective, how would you like a way to make it even easier?
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