Creative Writers-Who Knew?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:03 pm
I am so amazed all my dc are learning and the skills they have acquired over the last several years with HOD! When I saw that this year we were going to be doing some creative writing with the poetry in Preparing, I was a bit worried. I'm not much of a creative writer and I didn't think my dc were either. We have faithfully been doing the poetry activities in the previous guides and learned about rhyme and meter, etc. We have done very little creative writing except what is done in the guides. So many of the public schools around here stress writing from kindergarten and their friends were doing much more than they ever did. Sometimes I was concerned that maybe we should be doing more, but I decided to trust HOD and just follow the plans. Now today, my dc blew my socks off with their writing assignment in Unit 4. Our poem for the week is "To Any Reader". It's a neat poem, and we've been enjoying it. We did the activity today where we picked out phrases that helped us visualize the setting then they were to write either a paragraph or two or a poem to retell the poem. After we did the picking out phrases, I left them to write their poem or paragraph. When they brought their work to me to see, I was thrilled! They both chose to write a poem. I can't help but share their creations here. Here is dd's:
The Book
I was playing in the garden trees,
And sat down to read a book,
And there behold was a boy,
On the page where I happened to look.
I turned the page and asked him,
"Do you want to play?"
But he had already grown up and gone away.
Here is ds's:
In This Book
I look in the window of this book,
And find another child in the garden play,
But he won't be lured out of this book,
Because he has grown up and gone away.
I love how ds used some of same phrasing that the original poem had...very CM like.
I was really impressed, and I can very truthfully say that this is nothing of my own doing. I never would have thought to include poetry or know how to incorporate it to learn new skills. I've just followed the plans and did what the guide told me to do. I can't help but be amazed at how wonderfully they are learning this skill and many others bit by bit by just following the guides. Thank you HOD!
The Book
I was playing in the garden trees,
And sat down to read a book,
And there behold was a boy,
On the page where I happened to look.
I turned the page and asked him,
"Do you want to play?"
But he had already grown up and gone away.
Here is ds's:
In This Book
I look in the window of this book,
And find another child in the garden play,
But he won't be lured out of this book,
Because he has grown up and gone away.
I love how ds used some of same phrasing that the original poem had...very CM like.
I was really impressed, and I can very truthfully say that this is nothing of my own doing. I never would have thought to include poetry or know how to incorporate it to learn new skills. I've just followed the plans and did what the guide told me to do. I can't help but be amazed at how wonderfully they are learning this skill and many others bit by bit by just following the guides. Thank you HOD! 
. I have come to realize that Charlotte Mason was on to something pretty spectacular with poetry study. I've also come to realize that HOD incorporates that method beautifully within its poetry studies from year to year. Whoever thought about 5 minutes a day with classic poetry could impact dc's creative writing so dramatically?!? I wouldn't have believed it if you'd told me. I guess I've had to live it myself to see it and believe it. I cannot believe how my oldest ds can incorporate what he's learned through poetry study within his writing and his speaking. His written narrations are full of poetic devices, and even his talking often includes metaphors, alliterations, and vivid descriptions - it is just like listening to short bursts of poetry. I can't wait to see what else your dc come up with in PHFHG! What fun lies ahead!