Beverley Paine's Australian Home School Curriculum: Tips for Learning How to Read - Using Poetry : Mary had a little lamb. where art thou, Romeo?

Using Poetry: Mary had a little lamb. where art thou, Romeo?

© Beverley Paine, 2004

Don't forget to hunt out some poetry and songs that tie in with the books and movies you're reading. Reciting or reading poetry is a much neglected part of everyday life. We begin on the right path when the children are tiny, chanting and singing rhymes at, and with, them, but forget that poetry is an art form that, like paintings, sketches, sculpture and dance, can soothe and refresh the soul, challenge us to think deeply, excite our imaginations and stir the emotions.

We can't avoid poetry, however. How many of us find ourselves repeating rhyming advertising couplets, or singing jingles throughout each day? Point out to your children that these are poetry too, that the world is full of practical and useful poetry as well as artistic poetry.

Songs are simply poetry to music: encourage your children to sing from an early age; not that most need encouragement! I love the Beatles music; it's so easy to sing along to and conjures up great imagery. I love reading aloud Shakespeare as it's tremendously powerful. You don't need to understand the words to feel the emotion embedded in them. There's a poem for every occasion. I know families who read poetry to each other each day and make up outrageous limericks at the breakfast table.

photo of Beverley and Robin Paine Pioneering members of the home education movement in Australia, Beverley and Robin Paine are passionate advocates of true educational choice for families. They began homeschooling their children in 1986 and three years later started the South Australian Home Based Learners network. Beverley wrote Getting Started with Homeschooling in 1995-97 and since then continues to write books and booklets on home education. She balances spending time helping home educators with working in her garden and renovating her home, as well as continuing to build her collection of writing on a variety of homeschooling subjects. Beverley maintains an extensive collection of websites as well as several Yahoo groups supporting families teaching their children at home. In 2007 Beverley joined the HEA and became a committee member in 2008: she also edits and produce the HEA Newsletter, HEA magazine, Stepping Stones for Home Educators, annual Resource Directory and other HEA publications. If you'd like to keep in touch with what Beverley is up to her in her life, sign up for the Homeschool Australia Newsletter or visit her Homeschool AustraliaFacebook page.