Homeschool Happenings: Memoria Press ~ A Review

Over the past weeks my daughter has been working through and learning great poetry with Poetry for the Grammar Stage Set, Third Edition from Memoria Press. Included in the set is; Poetry for the Grammar Stage Student Guide, Poetry for the Grammar Stage Teacher Guide, and Poetry for the Grammar Stage Anthology. The Grammar Stage encompasses grades 3-7. Poetry for the Grammar Stage is intended to be a supplement to the other academic curricula in the Memoria Press academia line of study. With that said, it can be used as a stand alone curriculum.

Anthology

There are a total of 32 poems in the anthology. Many of the poems you will be familiar with such as:

The Lamb by William Blake
All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander
The Brave Old Oak by Henry Fothergill Chorley
Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman

Student Guide

The poems within the curriculum align with the Memoria Press Classical Core Curriculum. The Student Guide includes the 32 poems found in the Anthology along with The Dwarves" Song by J.R.R. Tolkien. For example, The Happy Farmer by Unknown and The Hayloft by Robert Louis Stevenson align with reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder in Memoria Press Literature. Again, you can use Poetry For The Grammar Stage as a stand alone curriculum without feeling like the student is missing an extra component.

So how exactly is the student guide laid out? Each poem has 4 pages dedicated to its contents. The first page has the poem written out and a space for the student to illustrate a portion of the poem. On the second page the student is to copy the poem in their best handwriting or cursive. The third page consists of likely unfamiliar vocabulary that the student might find within the poem, poetry analysis,

and rhyming structure. Finally, on the fourth page the student will answer comprehension questions about the poem.

My 5th grader worked through a handful of the poems in the Anthology and completed the pages in the Student Workbook. My daughter actually really enjoyed working through these poems. Some were definitely more challenging with regards to their meaning than others. After breaking the poems down and discussing them it was like a lightbulb went off in her head and they made sense. She really enjoyed illustrating a scene from the poem. Writing out the poem was great practice for perfecting handwriting and cursive. I really enjoyed the time that the two of us had together working through each poem. On average she spent two days completing all work for a poem. If I had her memorizing the poem I usually gave her about a week.

Some examples of Comprehension questions asked are:

In The Lamb by William Blake the student is asked, "What is a lamb's 'clothing of delight'"? Answer ~ A lamb's wool because it is like their clothing.

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing, wooly, bright;

In Try, Try Again by William Hickson the student is asked, "What are the reasons the poem gives to keep trying"? Answer ~ You should keep trying because you will conquer, prevail, finish the race, and be rewarded.

For if you will persevere,

You will conquer, never fear,

Try, try again.

Once or twice though you should fail,

Try, try again;

If you would at last prevail,

Try, try again;

If we strive, 'tis no disgrace

Though we do not win the race;

What should you do in the case?

Try, try again.

If you find your task is hard,

Try, try again;

Time will bring you your reward,

Teacher's Guide

Select a poem that moves you or your student.
Read the poem aloud while your student follows along. This allows your child to hear how the poem is to be read properly with sound, rhythm, emphasis, and enunciation.
Ask your child to read it.
Discuss the poem, it meaning, what is going on in the poem.
Discuss how the title fits the poem.

There are instructions given for how to teach a classroom setting as well.

The Teacher's Guide includes the same exact pages as what is found in the Student Guide as well as pages written out with answers.

Overall, I would highly recommend Poetry For the Grammar Stage to others. I really think that the curriculum does a great job of helping the student understand poetry.

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