how many poems should a 1st grader memorize?

[greenmamato3]

i know that my FLL gives me 5 or so poems for DS to memorize this year, but that doesn't seem like very many. one of them, he already knows anyway.

 

do you try to have your 1st grader memorize a poem each month? more frequently? how long/how many stanzas is reasonable to expect ?

 

we'll be doing memory verses and memory lists for history, science, {math?}, and spelling ... of course grammar too.

 

thoughts? experiences? DS isn't an avid memorizer, but i feel like he COULD get better .... he's not incapable! i just don't want to stress him out either.

[Bayt ul-Hikmah]

:lurk5:

 

I'm especially curious how people balance poetry and scripture memorization at this age. My ds is really working on his Quran, so I don't know how much to emphasize the other things.

 

Is the point the skill of memorizing or the poetry itself? If the latter, I would prefer my ds learn The Red Wheelbarrow and Dreams before The Caterpillar. No problem, I would just adjust FLL...

[Whereneverever]

I think it depends on how much other memorization is going on. We're also doing scripture and hymnity memorization so I'm not worried about adding in too many extra poems. I think a poem a month sounds about right if that's all you are doing.

[love2read]

Two or three a semester is enough because it allows for review and time to memorize other things. When I was younger I had my children memorize one poem after another, but I didn't spend enough time listening to old poems. Those older kids remember very few poems from their childhood. It's the "brain training" that comes with memorization that is important as well as the pleasure of reciting something beautiful, so quantity is not that important.

[Haiku]

My first grader memorized twelve poems last year (so did my K-er, actually); They were all fairly short, 2-3 stanzas.

 

Tara

[Stacy in NJ]

FLL also include memorization of grammar definitions and word lists. So, that combined with the poetry is enough imo.

[sagira]

I'm going to follow this more or less:

 

"A Formidable List of Attainments for a Child of Six", a reprint of a curriculum outline from a Charlotte Mason school in the 1890's.

 

1. To recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns

2. to recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm

3. to add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters

4. to read--what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child

5. to copy in print-hand from a book

6. to know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows 7. to describe the boundries of their own home

8. to describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach 9. to tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English, and 3 from early Roman history (my note here, we may want to substitute early American for early English!)

10. to be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views

11. to mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them.

12. to do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees

13. to know 6 birds by song, colour and shape

14. to send in certain Kindergarten or other handiwork, as directed

15. to tell three stories about their own "pets"--rabbit, dog or cat.

16. to name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences

17. to sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song

18. to keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations.

[nmoira]

As many as they reasonably can without getting stressed. Some kids find memorization easier than others. My eldest takes only two or three readings to memorize a poem, so when she did FLL, we chose more and longer poems for memorization. OTOH, I have to work one-on-one with my youngest for a much longer period of time to learn rhymes and songs. When she's doing first grade work, we'll choose fewer and short poems.

[greenmamato3]

thanks, gals, as always :)

sagira, HOW do plan to implement the following line items from your list:

#s 7,8,9,10?

[tarana]

While I was little, we were made to memorize a poem every month. I don't remeber any of them now. Maybe the title of a few. As I grew up, I learnt it is better to remember logic than memorizing (barring the mutiplication tables). My girls just finished 1st grade, they have't memorized any poems at school.

 

Is there any use or advantage to memorizing poems?

[Haiku]

Is there any use or advantage to memorizing poems?

 

It exercises mental muscles. It gives the child a store of beautiful language. It helps children appreciate poetry. It gives them a sense of accomplishment.

 

I have my kids review the poems they have memorized on a weekly basis. As they accumulate more and more poems, they will review them on a monthly basis. Do I care if they remember "The Little Frog" when they are adults? No. But as they begin memorizing longer and more classic poetry, I hope they will remember them.

 

Tara

[Stacy in NJ]

I'm going to follow this more or less:

 

"A Formidable List of Attainments for a Child of Six", a reprint of a curriculum outline from a Charlotte Mason school in the 1890's.

 

1. To recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns

2. to recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm

3. to add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters

4. to read--what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child

5. to copy in print-hand from a book

6. to know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows 7. to describe the boundries of their own home

8. to describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach 9. to tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English, and 3 from early Roman history (my note here, we may want to substitute early American for early English!)

10. to be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views

11. to mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them.

12. to do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees

13. to know 6 birds by song, colour and shape

14. to send in certain Kindergarten or other handiwork, as directed

15. to tell three stories about their own "pets"--rabbit, dog or cat.

16. to name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences

17. to sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song

18. to keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations.

 

 

I love this list; it's so sweet.:001_smile: