Poetry in Homeschool

There are many ways to tackle the study of poetry. I believe that the Charlotte Mason way is probably best -- incorporating it into your regular curriculum by reading poems (at the very least) weekly. I have chosen to read at least one poem each day. That helps us to make poetry reading an enjoyable habit that we are not likely to forget.

Charlotte Mason recommended studying the same poet for an entire term (6-12 weeks). You might select Robert Louis Stevenson or Christina Rossetti for a traditional style. See more poets recommended by Charlotte Mason at Simply Charlotte Mason.

Or maybe you'd rather have a humorous poet such as Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky to motivate a younger or reluctant learner.

Perhaps you admire Miss Mason's ideas but find the study of one poet all term a bit dry. My suggestion is to buy an anthology of poetry that offers a wide variety. With the anthology, you could study by themes/topics, by forms (ballad, sonnet, limerick, etc.), or just at random.

Whatever you choose, make sure to include a POETRY slot in your schedule sheet or preferred record keeping device. If you have a blank there, you will be more apt to fill it in by reading poetry.

This is how I actually do poetry study with my daughter.

First, I read the poem outloud to her twice. The first time I may stumble over something. But the second time, I can read it with confidence and better phrasing.

Second, I ask my daughter, "What did you understand?" This is the narration stage when she retells what she heard. At this point, I can find out what she did and did not comprehend. What she shares here lays the foundation for my next steps.

If she didn't seem to understand a certain part, I will read that again and help her with any new vocabulary or figures of speech.

If she really liked a certain turn of phrase or idea, I will read that again as well just to let her enjoy it again.

If she totally omitted part of the poem in her narration, I will read that section again to help her focus.

Of course, I have my own reactions to a poem, and I will share those with my daughter as well. I especially like to emphasize beautiful phrases that describe something extremely well.

If you feel inadequate to discuss a poem, this Responding to Poetry form is a good place to start. But as you gain experience, you will learn the questions to ask.
Then once we both feel that we have connected with the poem, I read it one last time outloud.

Often, but not always, I will ask her to read it outloud at the very end.

These "lessons" are very short -- just 2-4 minutes long. You certainly don't want to dissect the poem to death, especially with elementary students. The goal is to create a love of the sound of poetic language and to encourage that same poetic skill with words.

For middle school or high school aged students, you may find this Poetry Evaluation chart helpful for taking notes about a specific poem. There is room for them to note symbolism, imagery, rhyme, their own feelings, etc.