A Case For Poetry

Most of us would have to admit that poetry is not in our list of "Top 10 things that we love most in life." However, when it comes to training our children in school it has many benefits. Charlotte Mason said (paraphrased) that the purpose of memorizing poetry is to give our children something good to think about. We have all heard the saying, "An idle mind is the devil's playground." The Bible has much to say about thinking on good things. Even phsycology tells us that what we think about has a big influence on our attitudes and behavior. That is why in our homeschool we memorize lots of Scripture along with Hymns of our faith and poetry. Along this line we also provide for our children good stories and fun Christian music to listen to. (I highly recommend the group "Go Fish")

Here's an example of a poem I will have Breck memorize:
WHOLE DUTY OF CHILDREN
A Child should always say what's true
And speak when he is spoken to,
And behave mannerly at table;
At least as far as he is able

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Cute, huh?

Here are some other good reasons for reading and memorizing poetry: Reading poetry enhances a child's knowledge of the English language since poetry uses language that we are often unfamiliar with. Second, it improves their critical thinking skills because the meaning of the poem is not always immediately clear. It requires them to think about what the author was really trying to say. Third, memorizing poetry strengthens their brain. And fourth, by requiring them to recite the poem to someone else, you are teaching good speaking abilities.