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ScoutTN
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I've read several threads about this.

Some love it. Some don't like the selection of poems. I don't have a strong poetry background and haven't a clue what to pick and this sounds good.

Is it really worth $65?

Does it work well with youngers?

If you have used it, how did you implement it and with children of what ages and for how long? Have you really stuck with it for years?

Thanks!

 

:bigear: :bigear:

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Yes! $65 does seem a lot, but there are years worth of work here. We're on our second year using it and my older kids are almost finished with Level 1, we'll get into a couple of poems in Level 2 before the end of our year (Thanksgiving). Probably could have gone a bit faster, but we're not in a hurry.

 

I don't use the CD much (although my kids like it when I do). If you're concerned about the cost, that is a place I could have cut. But I know others love the CD, so YMMV.

 

We love the common family vocabulary, the way I hear the children phrasing things in every day language, and we like the poems (generally). I appreciate that the poems are done, I don't have to find others.

 

The last level is a list of famous speeches and soliloquies that could be memorized, and I'm sure that will be valuable "someday."

 

It is a major part of our schooling, but I totally understand how others could see it as an "extra," and be happy choosing their own poetry from other sources.

 

ETA: Oh, yeah, we started when R-girl was still 2.5, N-boy 4, and M-girl 5. I folded R-girl in only when she was echoing her brother and sister. Also, she didn't speak much until she was 2, and at 2.5 I was about the only one who generally understood her. I think reciting poetry has helped her pronunciation a *lot*. That and she worked hard at it because she wanted to be understood.

Edited by ladydusk
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I am thinking of purchasing this as well. We have started working on memorization and it really isn't going very well. I am thinking that I have a program, I will actually get it done and the kids will learn the proper way to memorize. I don't know though! It is a lot of money and money is tight right now! I also got mixed opinions when I posted about this a month or so ago. If you buy it directly from IEW, they will allow you to return it whenever you want and get all your money back. Something to consider!!!

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I am thinking of purchasing this as well. We have started working on memorization and it really isn't going very well. I am thinking that I have a program, I will actually get it done and the kids will learn the proper way to memorize. I don't know though! It is a lot of money and money is tight right now! I also got mixed opinions when I posted about this a month or so ago. If you buy it directly from IEW, they will allow you to return it whenever you want and get all your money back. Something to consider!!!

 

Well, I don't know that it will teach "the proper way to memorize" It is basically an essay on the merits and importance of memorization, a schedule for implementing poetry memorization, and the poems. There aren't really any "how to" skills or tricks in the book. We use the brute force method, listen, repeat, listen, repeat, listen, repeat. [it might also come with one of Andrew Pudewa's DVDs... it did when I bought it several years ago]

 

I don't even use IEW's suggested schedule, we use Simply Charlotte Mason's.

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We make it a consistent part of our schooling with kiddos 6, 10, and 13. It doesn't take but a few minutes a day. We've been doing it three weeks and are about five poems in so far. I like the poems fine, but I'm not really into poetry so take that with a grain of salt. I'm more interested in the language skills they will gain from it than the poems themselves. See if you can get your hands on Andrew Pudewa's seminar "Nurturing Competant Communicators" from Rhino Resources or some other seminar recording company. That seminar is wonderful and will totally convince you! Now that I think of it, a dvd of that seminar was included in the package.

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We make it a consistent part of our schooling with kiddos 6, 10, and 13. It doesn't take but a few minutes a day. We've been doing it three weeks and are about five poems in so far. I like the poems fine, but I'm not really into poetry so take that with a grain of salt. I'm more interested in the language skills they will gain from it than the poems themselves. See if you can get your hands on Andrew Pudewa's seminar "Nurturing Competant Communicators" from Rhino Resources or some other seminar recording company. That seminar is wonderful and will totally convince you! Now that I think of it, a dvd of that seminar was included in the package.

 

 

I heard this presentation at a homeschool convention. It is REALLY good!

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For us it has been quite worth it. We have been using it for 6 years and are nearly done with Level 4. We began using it when my oldest 3 were 8, 7, & 5 and just folded the younger people in as they were ready. I personally really enjoy the selections, and have been pleased with the conversations they have spawned and the vocabulary learned.

 

We do it at lunch every day. We review some past poems and then listen to the CD. Typically we listen through the last 5 poems learned and then listen to our current poem 3x. After that we spend a few minutes reciting new lines/sections and we are done. It probably takes 15 minutes at this level.

 

HTH,

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Thanks for posting this! I bought this during the summer, but haven't started implementing it yet. I was actually wavering on whether or not it was worth it to do poetry memorization at all this year, but this thread has helped me see that I should! I will definitely crack it open next week!

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No. Not worth it. I bought it used and sold it after a year.

 

Get a good book of poems, or several. There is nothing magical about his selection or method. It's a skinny little book with boring poems.

 

In most threads everyone totally disagrees with me, but I would recommend you spend the money on good children's poem collections.

Edited by stripe
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We just started year 4 using it and are about half way through level 3. We started when my kids were 6 & 7 and they've always loved it. There is nothing "magical" about the poem selections, but we love listening to Andrew Pudewa, so it makes the extra cost of the audio CD's worth it. We just take our time about memorizing the poems. I have no time frame in which I think they should learn them. Just continue along at an enjoyable pace.

 

I print out 2 copies (copy & pasted into a Word document), one for each kid, and we read through the new poem while listening to the CD. The kids also illustrate each poem and put them into a plastic sleeve in a 3-ring binder. They now have 40 something illustrated poems that they've memorized and love to look at. They're forever going back to a particular drawing to tweak something on it, usually to make it funnier.

 

For me it's been worth every penny!

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We just started year 4 using it and are about half way through level 3. We started when my kids were 6 & 7 and they've always loved it. There is nothing "magical" about the poem selections, but we love listening to Andrew Pudewa, so it makes the extra cost of the audio CD's worth it.

 

I print out 2 copies (copy & pasted into a Word document), one for each kid, and we read through the new poem while listening to the CD. The kids also illustrate each poem and put them into a plastic sleeve in a 3-ring binder. They now have 40 something illustrated poems that they've memorized and love to look at. They're forever going back to a particular drawing to tweak something on it, usually to make it funnier.

 

For me it's been worth every penny!

 

Great ideas! Thank you for sharing. We just started this week and so far so good.

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Helen Ferris' Favorite Poems Old and New will keep you busy for a looong time. Seriously. I bought a used copy. You can get it used in new condition from a third party seller on Amazon for $15, or perhaps less elsewhere. This is a book you will treasure, that your kids can look through. Jt's thick and has tons of poems of all sorts. I bought a small collection of poetry books and it's my favorite.

 

His method is just repeating poems daily. Or then every other day. You can make a chart yourself! Really. Please believe me. I paid $19 for it used and sold it for the same. If curiosity gets the better of you, buy it used. But prepare to think, "That's it?" My son found the poems in the book horribly boring and refused to memorize any of them, and we memorized The Owl and the Pussycat (which is a long poem!) instead, and then some Ogden Nash poems he picked himself from Ferris' collection.

 

You can see IEW's list of poems in their sample.

http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/pmc

 

I don't want to sound like I'm drowing out dissenting voices, but I wanted to post those links.

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If curiosity gets the better of you, buy it used.

 

You can see IEW's list of poems in their sample.

http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/pmc

 

I don't want to sound like I'm drowing out dissenting voices, but I wanted to post those links.

 

I'm not commenting on your opinion regarding the program itself, I'll let everyone reach their own conclusion. But, I want to remind those that do make the leap that if you buy it new and directly from IEW you can return it for a 100% refund and that includes shipping. You can use it for as long as you like. It's simply a matter of whether you found it useful or not and that's after actually using it, not for a 30-day peek at the material.

 

If you do find it useful there is an active resale forum when you're finished. Unlike many companies IEW folks support the forum. Having followed it for the past couple years I've noticed that most of their products fetch more than half the original cost, probbably closer to 75%.

 

Jim

Edited by Jim
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I've read several threads about this.

Some love it. Some don't like the selection of poems. I don't have a strong poetry background and haven't a clue what to pick and this sounds good.

Is it really worth $65?

Does it work well with youngers?

If you have used it, how did you implement it and with children of what ages and for how long? Have you really stuck with it for years?

Thanks!

 

:bigear: :bigear:

 

I have it and love it. Do I love all of the poems- No.

 

Here's what's great about it:

1. A solid apologetic for language development through poetry

2. A solid intro to using the CM chart approach to memorizatin.

3. The poems on CD- training your kids to memorize auditory

4. The poems on paper- training your kids to memorize visually.

5. Andrew Pudewa's diction is incredible. I tell my sloppy mouthed child to imitate Mr. Pudewa and he knows just what I mean.

6. The vocabulary is great. The word useage is great. The made up words are great. It all teaches the kids that language is fluid and fun and fascinating.

 

We've had it for 4 years. My 8 yo and 11 yo love the CD and love the program. They have memorized at least 30 poems. My kids realize that memorization takes work and repetition. They don't always love doing it but they do love being able to pull a poem out of thin air and recite it. After a dd's bday party my ds recited "After the Party" spontaneously to my mil, who was delighted. My ds 17 has memorized tons of poems as a result of the interest generated with this program.

 

(We got off track during 2 years of upheaval. After our house fire/ sister's funeral, while we were living in a hotel, my 2 younger kids asked to listen to the CD over and over and over again. I think because it was familiar, during a time when almost everything familiar was gone, and becasue Andrew Pudewa's voice is soothing and calm. They would fall asleep to the poetry CD)

 

We start with a level each school year and do a poem a week. The kids listen to the poem on CD several times during the week, read it outloud several times during the week, have me "quiz" them on it while not looking during the week. On Thursdays we have Poetry and Tea. Ds 8 makes cookies and we sit and recite poetry. It's all very civilized and they LOVE it. (and this year we are going to do it every week!). the rule is they have to be prepared with a poem that is new and a poem they already knew.

.

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Hmmm.

 

Stripe,

Did you listen to, enjoy or benefit from Pudewa's seminar? (on CD, comes with the book or live at a conference). I have checked out the Helen Ferris book from the library and have it on my Amazon wish list. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

I don't have the money to purchase anything now. Thought I did, then a car repair.....

Maybe I'll get to hear Andrew Pudewa in Memphis next April? :)

I can make a list and help my kids learn poems, though I think the CD would be really nice to have. Even if we made some substitutions.

 

Tea, cookies and poetry - that may just have to happen here too! :)

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