Fun With Poetry

This year the boys and I have been using the book, The Roar on the Other Side by Suzanne U. Clark, to study poetry. We have had fun with some of their creations. The first I'll share with you is a type of Japanese poem called haiku which usually consists of three lines the first of which has five syllables, the second has seven and the third has five. The poem is usually about nature and with an element of surprise. So here we go!

The Foolish Bear (by Stephen)

The bear climbs the tree
Strongly with his mighty limbs.
But that sapling breaks.

The Coming Storm (by Alan)

Black clouds approaching
Flashes of lightning in the dark
Blue crack, thunder booms.

The Dragon ( by Robert)

The dragon flies miles,
Fleeing fast against the wind.
Fast flying dragon.

The next is a poem of interlocking form called the pantoum which was originally from Malaya but brought to the West by Victor Hugo.

Listen to the Rain or The Random Poem (by Robert)

Listen to the rain as it falls
Drip, drip, drop. It's a peaceful racket.
The windmill gets pattered over.
Houses washed on their roofs.

Drip,drip,drop. It's a peaceful racket.
Splash go the people running. Slip!
Houses washed on their roofs.
Wally Brown goes a'sliding.

Splash go the people running. Slip!
Breakfast cereal sloshes out the window.
Wally Brown goes a'sliding.
See a bottle randomly washing away.

Drip, drip drop. It's a peaceful racket.
Breakfast cereal sloshes out the window.
See a bottle randomly washing away.
Listen to the rain as it falls.

The Fuzzballs (by Alan)

In the grass, dirt, sand and rock,
Three cats rustle, tumble and play.
One jumps, the other two crouch
Forming a perfect ball of black, brown and grey.

Three cats rustle, tumble and play
Rolling in the soft shrubs
Forming a perfect ball of black, brown and grey.
The trees wave in the sky.

Rolling in the soft shrubs
The fuzzballs finally crash to the ground and look up.
The trees wave in the sky.
Resting and panting, then another round.

In the grass, dirt, sand and rock
One jumps, the other two crouch.
The fuzzballs finally crash to the ground and look up.
Resting and panting, then another round.

Flight of the Dragon (by Stephen)

The dragon crashes through the leafy brush
Spreading its wings, it smoothly takes to the air.
The scales on its streamlined body flash like gold.
Its breath flows as a tidal wave of fire.

Spreading its wings, it smoothly takes to the air.
The very trees cower under the wind of its flight.
Its breath flows as a tidal wave of fire.
Birds and beasts alike scatter as ants from heat.

The very trees cower under the wind of its flight.
No creature alive boasts the size of those talons.
Birds and beasts alike scatter as ants from heat.
And when it alights even mountains tremble.

The dragon crashes through the leafy brush.
The scales on its streamlined body flash like gold.
No creature alive boasts the size of those talons.
And when it alights even mountains tremble.

I hope you have enjoyed these. There will be more to post later.

Homeschool Resources

Sara asked me to write a little about ambleside.org. I found this website a few years ago and liked it very much even though at the time I was not ready to fully use it. It is a free curriculum following Charlotte Mason's philosophy. It is such a rich website I hardly know where to start. There are helps for those who are just beginning to homeschool and for those who are veterans. Many of the books they use can either be found at libraries or online for which they provide links. At first glance the curriculum may seem daunting because of all the books they suggest, but they are quick to let you know that you are free to pick and choose what would be best for your children.
I would encourage everyone to at least visit the website whether or not you are familiar with Charlotte Mason. On the homepage there are five headings from which to choose, the first being an introduction. That's the best place to start because it will answer many questions. For those of you who have tried to read Charlotte Mason's books but have given up because of the language, they have rewritten the whole series in modern English, which you will find right on the website.
This website has enabled me to take better charge of my homeschooling and has provided me with so many suggestions of books that I might never have known about. Some are books that I should have read years ago, but are enjoying now with my sons. We are encouraged to spend more time outside learning about God's creation. The boys and I even enjoy reading Shakespeare plays together making our voices sound different to try to fit the parts. Sometimes we just end up laughing.
Ambleside.org is a great website that I highly recommend. The homeschooling mothers who have put it all together are to be commended for all their hard work. There are also many groups on Yahoo that are part of the ambleside family some of which I have found very helpful. One group in particular that has helped me is the Year 5 Notebook group. One mother has gone through the entire year's curriculum and posted the weekly readings so all I've had to do is download and print them weekly for Robert to read. There is a wealth of information at ambleside.org and I hope you will all visit sometime.