July 1, 2006--

(This is a reply I sent in to an email list. The original poster had asked for suggestions on how to choose poetry for memory work.)

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Well I know some people use Harp & Laurel Wreath. I know the Institute for Excellence in Writing has a poetry program out now too.

We, however, simply use poems that have appealed to my daughter. We own a
variety of poetry books and I typically let her choose the poems she's
memorized.  I have her collection of memorized poems into a word document
that I just add to with each new poem worked on. I print them off and put
into a page protector in a 3-prong folder. she has memorized 18 poems to date
(she's been memorizing them for about a year or so now.)

Most of them she was able to share with our tea and poetry club during
recitation time. The most recent one she memorized was applicable towards
one activity needed for a Junior Girl Scout badge. She's memorized things to
do that were FUN based, or season based, or the picture in the book looked
cute and caught her attention.

Starting in fourth grade (January) I'll add historical memorizations to her
repitoire too (Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, The Gettysburg Address, etc.etc) but will continue with the poetry too.

I don't think there is a right or wrong on what you pick. Starting off I
would just be sure it is appealing to the kiddo. I'm amazed at how quickly
and seemingly easily my daughter can memorize her poems. we started simple
and short and now things are much more complex (vocab she's not famliar
with) as well as lengthier. Now, I sorta do require lengthier poems, as I
know her ability is there. If she came to me with a short dinkier poem that
she wanted to memorize, I'd tell her to GO FOR IT but it wouldn't be her
assigned school work!