If you’ve ever considered adding poetry memorization to your homeschool, you really should take a look at Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization from the Institute for Excellence in Writing! Including in, Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization is a physical copy of the Teacher’s Manual, 5 CDs with all the poems for all five levels, and the DVD-Nurturing Competent Communicators. The link to download the Student eBook and the seven audio MP3’s:
- Nurturing Competent Communicators,
- Mastery Learning, Ability Development, and Individualized Education,
- Ten Thousand Times and Then Begins Understanding,
- On Listening,
- On Speaking,
- On Reading, and
- On Writing
IEW was also gracious enough to sent a physical copy of the Student book, which is available to purchase separately from the Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization.
Do you have multiple students that you would like to use Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization with? If so, you will really appreciate the generous policy that IEW has in regards to photocopying. Families are allowed to photocopy student materials. Poetry Memorization is easy to use with students of many different ages which makes it a great resource for homeschoolers.
“Now to be a competent writer or speaker of English, a student need not be well equipped with an extensive knowledge of grammar, nor is it necessary for him to do great loads of worksheets and exercises designed to teach usage and mechanics,” Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization Teacher’s Manual Introduction. The student simply needs a “large database in his brain of reliably correct and sophisticated language patterns” (also from the Introduction). What does that mean for us? By working through Poetry Memorization, the kids have each been building a broader vocabulary without finding it boring or tedious.
By memorizing works of poetry and famous speeches, they have been building their repertoire of words and word combinations which, in turn, will help them to become better speakers and writers. Also the more we practice memorizing passages the easier it becomes to memorize additional information.
IEW is based on Mastery Learning. By repeatedly hearing and speaking the poems, they become part of the student’s expanding repertoire. Then to ensure that the passages are not forgotten a schedule for review is built into the course.
Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization has five levels. All students start with Level One and then progress at their own pace through the five levels. The very first poem, Ooey Gooey has been recited many, many times in our house!
Ooey Gooey
Ooey Gooey was a worm,
A mighty worm was he.
He stepped upon the railroad tracks,
The train he did not see!
Ooooey Goooey!
We also utilized the Gettysburg Address which was given by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 and the Preamble to the Constitution. Both of these are in Level Five. The kids have been participating in a drama production based on the history of America, in which, Brock is playing the part of Abraham Lincoln. He is reciting the Gettysburg Address as part of his lines in the play. The kids are also reciting the preamble in the same play.
The kids enjoy listening to the CDs even outside of school hours. They have also been known to randomly recite poems to me when we are cleaning house. Even the younger kids have been memorizing poems when they hear their older siblings reciting them.
We have really been enjoying Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization!
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Jennifer
