On Day 7 of IEW’s Twelve Days of Christmas Giving, the sweet sounds of verse fill the air through the gift of the entire first level of Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization. Not only are we offering the teacher and student PDF pages for the level, we are also including the MP3 recordings for each poem as well. Be sure you are registered for the event to receive the email with links to the gifts and the free shipping code.
Why is it important for students to memorize language? It was not that long ago that memorization was a foundational skill in American schoolhouses. Sharing this insight in his introduction to Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, Andrew Pudewa penned the following:
Neurologically, memorization develops the brain in a way nothing else can. Neurons make connections through frequency, intensity, and duration of stimulation. When children memorize (and maintain the ability to recite) interesting poems, all three of these variables are involved in a powerful way, strengthening the network of neural connections that build the foundation of raw intelligence.
Your students probably will not know that, but they will likely find that memorizing poetry is a lot of fun! All of the poems were carefully selected to appeal to students. Many are humorous, and all are syntactically correct. The meter and rhyme facilitate memorization, and as poem after poem is added to a student’s repertoire, so too is a resplendent supply of vocabulary, which remains accessible to the student, available to be drawn upon in both conversation and writing.
In addition to the above gift, we are delighted to share a brand new video presentation of By Heart: The Goodness of Memory. Andrew Pudewa contemplates the import of memory for humans, the history and biology of memory, and memory’s impacts on the human experience.
Rounding out today’s gifts, we offer an Arts of Language podcast episode “National Poetry Month” (Episode 368). Inject a bit of April into your winter as you listen to this podcast episode. Enjoy listening to some poetry and gain helpful tips on how to write and memorize poems. Check out the show notes to extend the poetry celebration even more. It’s a great way to enjoy a cold winter day!
by Jennifer Mauser
P.S. Don’t forget to use the code for free standard domestic shipping on any online order from December 26–January 6.
