Poetry Teatime: A good learning environment
Hello Julie!
I am a new homeschooling mom and I am so thankful for the poetry tea idea. I have two boys, almost 11 and almost 8, and they were not too sure about the idea at first. But now, as I discuss making changes for our new semester, they have made sure that our poetry tea is part of our week—every week. We will have to change our day due to other classes they are taking, but we are all hooked!
Last semester, we read poetry from Caroline Kennedy’s book, “Poems to Learn By Heart” for several weeks and that was a favorite. Recently I picked up “A Child’s Introduction to Poetry” by Michael Driscoll at a garage sale. (Yay for garage sale finds!). My kids are digging the nonsense rhymes and I really like that they teach about different types of poetry—since I don’t have much recollection of that from my youth!
Sometimes we pull something to eat out of the pantry that we already have, and sometimes when I get the opportunity, I make them a special treat to surprise them. They have both learned to enjoy herbal tea and the fancy tea cups I’ve kept locked up in the china hutch for too many years. It’s been a delight to share something “feminine” with my two boys—who knew they would enjoy it so much??
We have also added our read aloud time to the tea, thus adding more literature and crossing off one more subject they don’t have to “suffer” through. All in all, it’s been a good learning environment and I’ve learned not to expect perfection from them in their habits or decorum! I have promised a trip to a “real tea house” at the end of the school year where they can practice the habits of gentlemen I am trying to teach them to appreciate.
Thanks again for the grand idea that was relatively simple to employ and now something we all look forward to each week—even their two year old sister who begs to join us for our “tea party.”
Blessings,
Katie
Image (cc)
