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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Poetry for Copywork

I have always wanted to incorporate more poetry into our school, but have failed to make it an ongoing activity. This week I am changing that....God is changing a good many things around here and I am trying to include those things that I never seem to have time for, but in the long run may mean more than some of the other things we can seem to find time for... Do you regularly incorporate poetry in your school day? Do you have a favorite poem? Is anybody even reading this?

This is Aaron's copywork for the week. I hope to have him memorize it or to at least read it to the rest of the family as per an old-fashioned recitation.

Our Heroes
Phoebe Cary

Here's a hand to the boy who has courage
To do what he knows to be right;
When he falls in the way of temptation,
He has a hard battle to fight.
Who strives against self and his comrades
Will find a most powerful foe.
All honor to him if he conquers.
A cheer for the boy who says "NO!"

There's many a battle fought daily
The world knows nothing about;
There's many a brave little soldier
Whose strength puts a legion to rout.
And he who fights sin singlehanded
Is more of a hero, I say,
Than he who leads soldiers to battle
And conquers by arms in the fray.

Be steadfast, my boy, when you're tempted,
To do what you know to be right.
Stand firm by the colors of manhood,
And you will o'ercome in the fight.
"The right," be your battle cry ever
In waging the warfare of life,
And God, who knows who are the heroes,
Will give you the strength for the strife.

9 comments:

Raising Olives said...

Hi Anita,

We use Sonlight and therefore read poetry nearly every day. This year we are reading a wonderful book called "All the Small Poems" by Valerie Worth. We are all loving it. I usually read each poem several times and the children are picking up more of artistry of language through poetry.

Each child keeps a poetry journal and each week they pick their favorite poem and copy it into their journal and then may embellish it or not as they wish.

It is so hard to fit everything in. I just figure that if I do all of it some of the time then at least we are making progress.

Blessings,
Kimberly

Raising Olives said...

Oh wanted to mention, "All the Small Poems" is a book of very simple charming, clever poetry. Nothing earth shattering, but completly enjoyable.

Heather said...

I am reading this! We do not do a great job of poetry other than our hymn book. We usually just use our memory verses as copy work each day. I like Kimberly's idea, though.

Em said...

I'm reading, too...just a day late! I wanted to share a source for some great copywork. Good stuff, nothing silly, and so many choices for different ages, boy/girl, etc... Check it out. We've been super impressed with everything we've gotten here:

http://www.queenhomeschool.com/bookpage/bookframe.html

Have a great day!
Em

Anita said...

Emily,

I have seen all of the resources that Queen Homeschool has and have often thought about added some of them to my library, but I already have tons of things that we have used in the past--George Washington's Rules of Civility, Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac, Bible verses, recipes from history, and lots of poetry books, including Favorite Poems Old and New, several copies of A Child's Garden of Verses, Aesop's Fables, McGuffey's Readers and William Bennett's The Book of Virtues and others, Vision Forum's Verses of Virtues, and Poems for Patriarchs. Some of these we have used extensively through the years and others are available, so I hesitate to order more when there are other books on my list. And my shelves are overloaded!! We have analyzed poetry in the past, but only when doing a particular KONOS unit. I am trying to make it more of a lifestyle instead of an occasional thing.

Liesa said...

HI ANITA.
I'M READING, I'M READING!!! HA.
I LOVE POETRY. NOELLE LOVES POETRY, BUT CALE ....WELL, WE JUST WON'T GO THERE! HA.
I DO MAKE HIM READ IT EVERY NOW AND THEN THOUGH. (MOSTLY POEMS IN OUR ABEKA BOOKS)
HAVE A TERRIFIC THURSDAY!
PRAY ALL IS WELL WITH YOU & YOURS.

Roan said...

I'm reading! I am just a day or two behind too. I need to incorporate more poetry too. I love Kimberly's idea. I may try that!
What is Jordan doing for "English"?

Anita said...

Roan,

Jordan is not doing any grammar this year. He completed the big red Easy Grammar book so this year we are concentrating on literature and writing and more writing. I will pull the Easy Grammar book out to review before he takes the ACT....Lauren did really well on the English portion of the ACT using only Easy Grammar and doing the practices tests for the ACT available on-line. I probably need to start him back on it this summer as he will take the ACT next spring, I think.

Anita said...

Roan,

Jordan is not doing any grammar this year. He completed the big red Easy Grammar book so this year we are concentrating on literature and writing and more writing. I will pull the Easy Grammar book out to review before he takes the ACT....Lauren did really well on the English portion of the ACT using only Easy Grammar and doing the practices tests for the ACT available on-line. I probably need to start him back on it this summer as he will take the ACT next spring, I think.

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