Can we talk MCT?

[swimmermom3]

Today, my ds asked to continue to work through more pages of 4-level analysis in MCT's Grammar Voyage.:001_huh: He is relishing the challenges presented in the materials. We are just about finished with the book and I can't say enough good things about this program.

 

Caesar's English II is a hit for vocabulary as well. I have put aside my fears that it's "not enough". Swimmer Dude wants me to quiz him every day on the words and he delights in using them in his writing. He's also started using the dictionary to research other roots. :blink:

 

Yesterday, we started A World of Poetry. Ds looked at the cover of the book and said, "Oh MCT, this will be good." Someone has taken my child.

 

So yes, I am a Michael Clay Thompson groupie. It is probably some of the best money I have spent on curriculum so far.

[EKS]

I totally agree. MCT is a huge hit here with both mom an kids. I actually had it sitting on my shelf for a whole year because I didn't understand how to implement it. But in a fit of despiration several weeks ago I switched both kids.

 

MCT is a breath of fresh air. I wish I could find materials for other subjects that fit us as well as the MCT ones do for LA.

[Spy Car]

I'm cheered to read this.

 

My boy is still too young...but I so look forward to sharing this program with him. Exciting!

 

Bill

[nd293]

Great to hear - I have plans to use it next year, but was going to buy a couple of other things too, out of anxiety. Think I will just go with MCT!

[radiobrain]

SO glad you are now an "official" member of the MCT fan club!

 

:hurray::001_tt1::thumbup1::thumbup::rolleyes::willy_nilly::cheers2::hurray:

[Miss Marple]

Glad to know you all are enjoying it. We anticipate starting our MCT materials after Christmas break. I'm going to have to remember to come here and pick your brains once we start :-)

[Matryoshka]

SO glad you are now an "official" member of the MCT fan club!

 

Just curious from your post on the WWTB thread - are you already using the MCT writing materials? That's what I ended up going with instead of WWTB - we're loving Paragraph Town. I personally think it does a much better job teaching a descriptive paragraph. :tongue_smilie: YMMV, of course. :001_smile:

[swimmermom3]

I totally agree. MCT is a huge hit here with both mom an kids. I actually had it sitting on my shelf for a whole year because I didn't understand how to implement it. But in a fit of despiration several weeks ago I switched both kids.

 

MCT is a breath of fresh air. I wish I could find materials for other subjects that fit us as well as the MCT ones do for LA.

 

Yes. I am finding that MCT is a bit like remodeling. The room looks great but the furniture looks shabby and needs to be replaced. Now, if I could find a math program that is as intelligent, integrated, intuitive, and engaging as MCT.:D

 

Radiobrain, thanks for the encouragement.:cheers2:

[lovemykids]

So, can someone please explain to me why the grammar works so well for your children? What does a typical day look like?

 

:lurk5:

 

The poetry books look awesome! :drool5:

 

My dd8 is using the Royal Fireworks Aesop LA materials, she loves them.

[Miss Marple]

Now, if I could find a math program that is as intelligent, integrated, intuitive, and engaging

 

You might check out the Art of Problem Solving Series. We're really enjoying it.

[Julie in MN]

Lisa, I am SO on the same page as you! Fun to celebrate together! I love Caesar's English so much that I'm sure I'll keep it on my shelf forever with my favorite books to read :)

 

Kai, I agree that implementing is hard. The company is trying very hard to cater to us homeschoolers but doesn't totally get our needs. But once we jumped in, it was very worth it, eh?! It only took us about a month to know exactly what we could do every day.

 

LoveMyKids, a typical day with MCT grammar & vocab is kinda like spending time wandering around an interesting book or conversation. You'll read about a new grammar concept or vocab words, you'll read some really great lines from many different authors, you might read a short bio of a particular author or a famous Latin line, you'll see words in other languages, you'll analyze a sentence to see what function every single word is playing as well as everything from phrases/clauses to poetic techniques you might spot. Grammar isn't isolated but is shown to include many good things to talk about.

 

Bill, thanks for talking about MCT so early in your child's life. I think you're the first one I heard mention MCT :)

Julie

[swimmermom3]

So, can someone please explain to me why the grammar works so well for your children? What does a typical day look like?

 

:lurk5:

 

The poetry books look awesome! :drool5:

 

My dd8 is using the Royal Fireworks Aesop LA materials, she loves them.

 

We sit down on the couch together and read a couple of pages in the Teacher's Manual (about 15 minutes). My ds took basic notes on each of the 4 sections: parts of speech, parts of sentences, phrases and clauses. For example, at the beginning of this week he wrote definitions and punctuation patterns for simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Today, we analyzed several sentences on the 4 different levels. Starting next week, we'll analyze 4 sentences a week in Practice Voyage. 10 minutes max?

 

Rewarding him and her was the goal of the voyage.

 

1st: noun, pronoun, conjunction, verb, etc.

2nd:subject, predicate, subject complement

3rd: gerund phrase, prep. phrase

4th: independent clause, a simple declarative sentence

from Grammar Voyage, pg. 114

 

My ds received a basic foundation from Easy Grammar. However, he feels MCT helps him see "the big picture". If he is not sure how a word or phrase is being used, he starts plugging in the pieces into the various levels. It's become easier to not mistake those verbals for actual verbs! I think he sees it as a puzzle, a very logical one.

 

Every lesson in Caesar's English II contains "The Grammar of Vocabulary". If one of the vocab. words is obsequious, the student gets to see it used in a sentence that he takes apart and analyzes on the 4 levels. MCT maintains that, "Vocabulary and grammar are not two different things." Hence, even more grammar reinforcement.

 

MCT is a natural fit with the child I am currently using it with. I'm very curious to try it out on one of my older kids over the summer. He has a different learning style than the youngest. HTH

Edited October 22, 2009 by swimmermom3
Additional information

[swimmermom3]

LoveMyKids, a typical day with MCT grammar & vocab is kinda like spending time wandering around an interesting book or conversation. You'll read about a new grammar concept or vocab words, you'll read some really great lines from many different authors, you might read a short bio of a particular author or a famous Latin line, you'll see words in other languages, you'll analyze a sentence to see what function every single word is playing as well as everything from phrases/clauses to poetic techniques you might spot. Grammar isn't isolated but is shown to include many good things to talk about.

 

 

 

Julie, this is a great description of a day with MCT. The first time we read the definitions of the vocab words that includes all of the sentences from famous works of literature, I thought my ds's eyes were going to get stuck in the back of his head, the eyeroll was so pronounced. Now, it's a game to find out if I have read the book, and if so, what's it about? Then, when the book shows up again, he delights in telling me, "Oh, that's the book about so and so, right?" My older ds heard my description of Lord of the Flies. The book is no longer on my shelves.:D

 

I wasn't quite sure how I was going to implement Essay Voyage. Now, I figure I'll just jump in and go for it.

[lovemykids]

Thanks Julie and Lisa! :) Hmm, sounds great. Now if only I had the $$. :glare:

 

Maybe next year, or later this year. ;)

[Spy Car]

Bill, thanks for talking about MCT so early in your child's life. I think you're the first one I heard mention MCT :)

Julie

 

I'm pleased you are enjoying it so much Julie.

 

General question for everyone.

 

If we wanted to start with very light exposure to some of the vocabulary and (especially) the poetry elements of MCT beginning level material, what age do you think would be the earliest you'd be tempted to start "lite"?

 

Bill

[lovemykids]

Yes, now there is the whole placement issue. :001_rolleyes:

[lovemykids]

I'm pleased you are enjoying it so much Julie.

 

General question for everyone.

 

If we wanted to start with very light exposure to some of the vocabulary and (especially) the poetry elements of MCT beginning level material, what age do you think would be the earliest you'd be tempted to start "lite"?

 

Bill

 

It would depend on the reading level of your child, but I’d say the first language program looks like it could be started in late second grade. Lightly that is. But that’s just my opinion, ditto on the poetry. I would start the vocabulary program earlier than that, maybe first grade.

 

:lurk5:

[Shawna in Texas]

I'm pleased you are enjoying it so much Julie.

 

General question for everyone.

 

If we wanted to start with very light exposure to some of the vocabulary and (especially) the poetry elements of MCT beginning level material, what age do you think would be the earliest you'd be tempted to start "lite"?

 

Bill

 

If I were to do it over again from the beginning (which I'm going to get to do :D ), I would have bought the poetry earlier (probably the first 2 books) and would have done a whole year before formal grammar study. My daughter is at an age where the language that MCT uses (we have the 2nd poetry book) isn't as exciting as it would be for an early elementary aged student. It's not about memorizing poetry, but recognizing sounds and rhythm that little kids understand. Sometimes I really have to exaggerate the lessons now so that we can get more out of them than the definitions of techniques.

 

When dd was 5, we started FLL. So, I think to gently introduce little ones to the parts of speech from the 1st series would be fine. My only concern would be starting the second set of books too soon. Depending on how my 2 yo progresses (my 11yo is doing rebus puzzles with her, so I'm not doing anything really), I would like to begin poetry when she's about 5. Not definitions, but familiarity, rhythm, the musicality of poetry. Then I'd probably add in the first grammar book and do that informally for a while. I'd need to see the writing and vocab portions before I'd know what to do with those, but I imagine we'll just take it really slowly until I feel she is ready for the second set. We would probably do it similarly to the way MCT recommends, except dragging it over 3 years, with poetry taking up the first year.

 

Since the series is becoming more popular, I'm going to be paying attention to how people will be utilizing the first series. I'm not in the guinea pig stage, yet. :tongue_smilie:

[lovemykids]

It would depend on the reading level of your child, but I’d say the first language program looks like it could be started in late second grade. Lightly that is. But that’s just my opinion, ditto on the poetry. I would start the vocabulary program earlier than that, maybe first grade.

 

:lurk5:

 

Of course, I haven't actually used the program yet. So what do I know? :lol:

 

 

I need placement help with my 10 year old. :confused: Voyage, town?

[swimmermom3]

Of course, I haven't actually used the program yet. So what do I know? :lol:

 

 

I need placement help with my 10 year old. :confused: Voyage, town?

 

Call RFWP and ask what they would recommend. They were very helpful when I called. They suggested Voyage (5th) for my 6th grader. It's been a good fit. We will move into the next level at the later part of year in order to play catch-up. My goal is to have covered all of their secondary LA materials by the end of 8th grade. That said, I'm also not going to sweat it. I know the work ds is currently doing is easily on grade level if not above it.

 

Just an added endorsement: I ordered all of the secondary MCT poetics for myself.:blushing::blushing::blushing: Do you think I will scare the mailman if I throw myself at the mail truck? The poetry books are a lovely way to unwind at night while still using your brain.

[Julie in MN]

It would depend on the reading level of your child, but I’d say the first language program looks like it could be started in late second grade. Lightly that is. But that’s just my opinion, ditto on the poetry. I would start the vocabulary program earlier than that, maybe first grade.

 

:lurk5:

 

I agree that it depends on the child, and on the parent. I'm of a better late than early camp, especially on formal grammar but even on literature and such, so know that I differ from WTM in this way.

 

I only know the lowest books in each category that I have. I think if you look at the actual words, sentences, and pieces of literature quoted, you might get a good idea of where your particular child would fit in.

 

POETRY: Building Poems does indeed cover poetry that could be enjoyed in the younger years; 2nd or 3rd grade a my house would be fine. I'm going to be starting it with an 8th grader, but we'll move quickly. I just want to "start with the joy." The denseness of the pieces studied moves up very quickly after this book.

 

VOCAB: CE1 studies these 5 words in chapter 2: countenance, profound, manifest, prodigious, languor. Books quoted include Peter Pan, Dr. Jekyll, Tom Sawyer, Canterbury Tales, Gulliver's Travels, Shakespeare, MLK, and Silent Spring. In my family, the earliest the kids would need to talk about this level of vocab & lit would be about 4th grade, but 8th grade is fine, too :) My 8th grader is just reading some of these pieces and enjoys spotting a word we've studied. We're moving quickly through CE1 at this age, spending 3 days on the root chapters and 4 days on the vocab chapters (every other chapter). He's getting 100% on all the quizzes.

 

Note that 2 levels up, Word Within the Word studies 25 roots every lesson - 5 times as many words. Whew, it was way more than necessary for my 8th grader. WWW has much tinier print and almost no conversational paragraphs, but more workbook-ish type lists.

 

GRAMMAR: ML-1 & 4P-1 are the first secondary level grammar. They're probably not hugely more difficult than the elementary grammar levels, I'm not sure. But they move quickly through every grammar detail. The sentence vocab is challenging. Today we worked on, "Ovid wrote his Metamorphoses, a poem of indisputable verisimilitude, in hexameter." Although, the student doesn't need to have previous knowledge of every single word in order to analyze the grammar function of the word. There is some vocab discussion in the 4P teacher book, too.

 

WRITING: We haven't started that, but I felt Academic Writing was more high schoolish than junior highish, so I went back and ordered Essay Voyage to start when we're finished with the main part of grammar. I love the conversations in the books about quality writing.

 

 

It's good to know where you're headed. If you rush through the 3 elementary levels starting in 1st grade, how soon will your child be ready for the level of vocab & literature quoted in the secondary levels?

Edited October 22, 2009 by Julie in MN

[lovemykids]

Call RFWP and ask what they would recommend. They were very helpful when I called. They suggested Voyage (5th) for my 6th grader. It's been a good fit. We will move into the next level at the later part of year in order to play catch-up. My goal is to have covered all of their secondary LA materials by the end of 8th grade. That said, I'm also not going to sweat it. I know the work ds is currently doing is easily on grade level if not above it.

 

Just an added endorsement: I ordered all of the secondary MCT poetics for myself.:blushing::blushing::blushing: Do you think I will scare the mailman if I throw myself at the mail truck? The poetry books are a lovely way to unwind at night while still using your brain.

 

Now that’s an idea, order some of the poetry books for myself. :hurray:

 

Thanks!

[Spy Car]

I certainly don't want to start with formal grammar "instruction" early. But I was wondering if (as Shawna mentions) if it wouldn't be nice to get my son used to listening for "the rhythm, the musicality of poetry" and of language in general?

 

I want to be enabled :D

 

And the vocabulary book seem "story based" to some degree, and like it draws connections a child could grasp?

 

Bill

[Vida Winter]

I'm pleased you are enjoying it so much Julie.

 

General question for everyone.

 

If we wanted to start with very light exposure to some of the vocabulary and (especially) the poetry elements of MCT beginning level material, what age do you think would be the earliest you'd be tempted to start "lite"?

 

Bill

 

I think the poetry books would be a good place to start. The beginning book is a fast read, so you could go through it several times with a young child, revisiting your favorite parts. There are many fun-sounding words to learn.

[radiobrain]

Just curious from your post on the WWTB thread - are you already using the MCT writing materials? That's what I ended up going with instead of WWTB - we're loving Paragraph Town. I personally think it does a much better job teaching a descriptive paragraph. :tongue_smilie: YMMV, of course. :001_smile:

 

See, this is a problem with ME... MCT is a totally visual curriculum, except for the teacher section in the back, so it doesn't immediately work for ME. I need to look over the book, write stuff out in my own way, then go from there. Also, my kids are further along in understanding than on writing skill, so they don't exactly sync up. I need an additional resource for presenting writing. Like I love the idea of bravewriter, but my brain starts to hurt when I look at it. I have to decipher and rewrite it. If I hadn't seen Julie B. speak, I would never have been able to open the book. :)

 

So, it isn't that MCT writing isn't awesome (it is), it is just that I need a separate way to tackle it as well. That is why I am constantly looking for the ever elusive "perfect writing program". I like to tackle most subjects from several different angles, at least the important ones.

 

In regards to placement.....

 

I think that for Bill, you could do the building language & poetry book at an bit of an earlier age, but you should hold off on the grammar until 3rd (remember it is written for gifted 3rd....). Your kid/s would enjoy the stories, but the meat of the instruction might be a little too early. Plus they get significantly less fun and more "real" pretty quickly. A second grader might love and understand the island books, but a 3rd grader might start to have trouble in Town. But, maybe not. it would depend on the child.

 

For the 10 year old, I would say to start in Town. You might go through them quickly... but the resale value is good.

[brightside]

I did Grammar Voyage with my 11 year old, it went pretty quickly and it cemented the grammar concepts nicely for him. I am trying to go back and break down a sentence about once a month (just to make sure it stays).

[Julie in MN]

I think the poetry books would be a good place to start. The beginning book is a fast read, so you could go through it several times with a young child, revisiting your favorite parts. There are many fun-sounding words to learn.

 

Ooh, I like that idea. I may have to keep that in mind for my grandson :)

[WishboneDawn]

I think, I'm almost positive, that I'm going to start MCT after Christmas. I have to wait because that's when I told my husband we'd be through Catherine's current LA program and so it will seem like a genuine homeschooling expense rather then just another of my gotta-have-it purchases. :D

[Matryoshka]

So, it isn't that MCT writing isn't awesome (it is), it is just that I need a separate way to tackle it as well. That is why I am constantly looking for the ever elusive "perfect writing program". I like to tackle most subjects from several different angles, at least the important ones.

 

What level are you working with? Once I looked closely, I found that Paragraph Town (what we've got) is broken down quite explicitly, from how many pages to read per lesson, and for each of the twenty lessons there is a "Paragraph Lab" that I can photocopy and hand right to them as a lesson. My kids are also farther along in understanding than writing skill - but I didn't think it would hurt them to go over the nitty-gritty of how to write a well-constructed paragraph before moving on to Essay Voyage. I could have done this book with them easily last year already (or maybe the year before), but we didn't start MCT at all till this year and this seemed the right jumping-in point.

 

I've also got IEW Ancient History writing on hand to throw into the mix, and I may also start them on Essay Voyage mid-year. (They're 11yo in 6th). Essay Voyage, however, is much more holistic - it very much does not have nice little lessons in the back. I'm going to have to sit down with that for a while to figure out how to break it into lessons.

 

I will probably start my younger dd (she'll be 9 in Dec) on Paragraph Town next year, maybe even along with WWE4.

 

In regards to placement.....

 

I'll pretty much agree with what the others are saying. I went through Music of the Hemispheres with my 8yo this summer, and really enjoyed it. I will have to say that she wasn't up to actually writing much poetry, at least not anything that incorporated much of the complexity being taught. But she can recognize things when she sees them now, and all of it will be revisited . I'd be doing the whole Island level with her this year, but she'll be taking an outside writing class, and is doing WWE2/3, and going through an outlining book, and I think that will be enough writing. I have the desire to get through Building Language with her, but we keep not getting to it.

 

I think you can jump into Town without going through Island if the child's older. I ended up deciding to put my 11yos in Town - I think we'll go through it quickly, but I think they'll be sufficiently challenged. They could have easily handled the grammar up a level or even two, but we're still on schedule to get to the first Magic Lens level by 8th grade, so I didn't see the need to rush too much.

 

I have to say I'm so happy to see MCT being discussed (and enjoyed!) so much. When I asked about it a year ago, seemed like almost no one was using it and I was getting really frustrated trying to figure out where to start or what was in it.

 

ETA: As much as I love MCT and his approach to grammar, I'm really glad I had my older two go through a year of Easy Grammar first. It laid out everything very explicitly rather than holistically - finding the phrases first makes identifying all the parts of speech for the 4-part analysis really easy. I wouldn't want to do more than one year of EG, though - it would get old.

Edited October 22, 2009 by matroyshka

[In the Rain]

I'm glad you started a thread about this. I've been searching through all of the old posts for info on MCT. I'm strongly considering it for dd. I've wondered why it isn't used more widely.

[Vida Winter]

I'd like to add that for the Grammar track - I recommend doing Practice Island no matter what level you start with. This is the book with 100 sentences that you analyze; some of them can be challenging even at that level.

 

Practice Island covers the parts of speech plus subject, predicate (action verb and linking verb), direct object, indirect object, prepositional phrases and independent clauses. I think it may just touch on dependent clauses. The sentences are not dumbed down.

 

Practice Town covers all that plus: appositive phrases, infinitive phrases, gerund phrases, and participial phrases as well as independent and dependent clauses. In addition, words and roots from Caesar's English and Classic Words are used (and bolded) for reinforcement.

 

They are very helpful at RFWP if you need placement help.

[swimmermom3]

I'm glad you started a thread about this. I've been searching through all of the old posts for info on MCT. I'm strongly considering it for dd. I've wondered why it isn't used more widely.

 

It may not be used more widely in the home school circles because it's not an "open and go" program. Or rather, it is, but in a very different sense. MCT doesn't come with a schedule and unlike Easy Grammar, it's difficult to divide up the number of pages in the book by the number of school days.

 

When I first received the materials, I could not figure out how to implement them in spite of the nice flow chart on RFWP's website. The MCT believers on this board helped so much. However, it was weird to just sit down on the couch and read about grammar with my ds. I was used to grammar involving several pages of worksheets after the lesson. So perhaps part of the reason more people don't use it is also because it does somewhat require you to step out on faith that it will work. At least for me, it's not like anything I've ever done before.

 

I would encourage you to check out the samples online, study the flow charts, and continue to ask questions here. If you like poetry, I don't think there is any way you can go wrong by ordering his books on poetics.

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks for this thread. I was in the MCT scares the pants off me camp, having had no grammar ever and really liking alot more structure to our curricula BUT i can see how it would work and i just might pucker up the courage to go for it when the time comes :)

[lovemykids]

You all have me so excited about MCT, I’m glad to see it being discussed here as well. I briefly looked it over at an earlier date, and dismissed it, but hearing so many good experiences has jolted my interest and I’m ready to take the plunge. Thanks so much for the placement advice. We may start in December or January; I’m looking forward to it!

[Spy Car]

I think the poetry books would be a good place to start. The beginning book is a fast read, so you could go through it several times with a young child, revisiting your favorite parts. There are many fun-sounding words to learn.

 

Sorry, Dana I missed this post earlier, thank you for the advice. My son is currently enjoying learning to read and memorize short poems, and clapping out "beats." It delights me.

 

So I ask myself if I shouldn't feed this joy a little. Not too much, just a little.

 

Bill

[Shawna in Texas]

 

So I ask myself if I shouldn't feed this joy a little. Not too much, just a little.

 

Bill

 

Off topic a bit, Bill, are you familiar with Kenneth Koch's books Rose, Where Did You Get That Red and Wishes, Lies, and Dreams? We did these early elementary (as soon as she could read and write) and they are by far some of my favorite resources for poetry. In fact, we're going to go through them again after we're done with the MCT poetry book, which will probably be before winter break.

[Spy Car]

Off topic a bit, Bill, are you familiar with Kenneth Koch's books Rose, Where Did You Get That Red and Wishes, Lies, and Dreams? We did these early elementary (as soon as she could read and write) and they are by far some of my favorite resources for poetry. In fact, we're going to go through them again after we're done with the MCT poetry book, which will probably be before winter break.

 

No, I've never heard of the author or the work. But I'm going to run to the library data-base and see if I can order these books.

 

Thank you!

 

Bill

 

ETA: The library system had copies of both works, so I should have them next week. Thanks again!

Edited October 23, 2009 by Spy Car

[teacalm]

I agree. Ds is doing Word Within A Word, and in just 6 lessons, manages to remember the roots/words as compared to nothing retained with Vocabulary From Classical Roots A-C. Practice books are highly, highly recommended. I only use WWW 1 and practice books right but the short chunks of work is effective.

[lulubelle]

I am also interested in MCT and think my ds7 would enjoy them when he is old enough, but do they not do diagramming of sentences?

[Matryoshka]

I am also interested in MCT and think my ds7 would enjoy them when he is old enough, but do they not do diagramming of sentences?

 

The book shows basic sentence structure with a diagram, somewhat akin to a decision tree - if the verb is action, look for direct/indirect objects, if the verb is linking, look for subject complements.

 

But the actual sentence analysis is not through diagramming, but through a process called 4-part analysis where the child has to identify:

 

1. Parts of speech

2. Parts of the sentence (subject, predicate and what kind, objects or subject complements)

3. Phrases (prepositional, verbal, apposotive, etc.)

4. Clauses and type of sentence (simple, compound or complex, and declarative, interrogative or exclamatory).

[radiobrain]

Something that we did... and I pull out whenever we do our practice books....

 

We made our own posters of the graphics that MCT uses. The "parts of speech" bubbles. I also have one for the flow of sentences (determining wether you will have a S.C. or D.O. ) one where we mapped out all the different types of pronouns etc. Whenever we get out any MCT I pull those out and place them somewhere the boys can refer to them if they need them.

 

I also agree with whoever said that you should start with Practice Island, no matter what level you are at. It is a great place to really cement the "process". I love the 4 level analysis. A bit different from sentence diagramming. My kids enjoy it too.

 

In response to whoever else commented on the writing stuff in Paragraph Town... I know!!!! I just need something else as well. I am a very strange person.

[swimmermom3]

Off topic a bit, Bill, are you familiar with Kenneth Koch's books Rose, Where Did You Get That Red and Wishes, Lies, and Dreams? We did these early elementary (as soon as she could read and write) and they are by far some of my favorite resources for poetry. In fact, we're going to go through them again after we're done with the MCT poetry book, which will probably be before winter break.

 

Shawna, after we talked about Kenneth Koch on another thread, I checked out Making Your Own Days: The Pleasure of Reading and Writing Poetry. My personal copy is on its way from Amazon. What a terrific book. I also inadvertently purchased Talking to the Sun which has poetry selections chosen by Kenneth Koch and art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We're into our fourth day of combining MTC and this resource and are loving it. Thanks for the heads-up on Koch.

[Shawna in Texas]

Shawna, after we talked about Kenneth Koch on another thread, I checked out Making Your Own Days: The Pleasure of Reading and Writing Poetry. My personal copy is on its way from Amazon. What a terrific book. I also inadvertently purchased Talking to the Sun which has poetry selections chosen by Kenneth Koch and art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We're into our fourth day of combining MTC and this resource and are loving it. Thanks for the heads-up on Koch.

 

I don't have those, so I will put them on my list. Thanks. :001_smile: