Although many educators think of IEW primarily as a writing curriculum company, we do not limit ourselves to just that one aspect of language arts. We actually focus on all four of the language arts, addressing not only writing but also speaking, listening, and reading. This month we would like to focus on one product that supports building effective speaking skills and growing vocabulary—Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization (LDP). If you have ever wondered about this excellent elocution course, keep reading to learn more about it. Perhaps you will decide to add this powerful course to your classroom or homeschool. And at the end of the blog post, you will have the opportunity to enter into a drawing for your own boxed set of the program.
Who is the course designed for?
LDP is designed for students of all ages, from kindergarten through adulthood (including their teachers). We recommend that all students, regardless of age, begin with the Level 1 poems and proceed in that order as mastery is attained.
What is the purpose of the program?
The main goal of the course is to engage mastery learning of poetry through memorization. Memorization is an integral part of education because it teaches children how to learn and retain all types of information. Poetry is chosen for memorization because the language is beautiful, sophisticated, and enjoyable. In addition, poetry uses vocabulary and sentence structures that appear outside of normal spoken or written English that help establish a strong linguistic foundation.
How does this course work if I have multiple students at different grade levels?
This program is one of the easiest to use with multiple grade levels because everyone begins at the same place—Level 1. Teachers should work with each child at their own pace. Being a mastery-based program, LDP works best when instructors are able to allow each child to master each poem at the child’s own personal pace. There is no need to rush a student to the next lesson if he or she is not quite ready.
Does this program work in a classroom environment?
Most certainly it does! To structure the program so that it can work in a classroom environment, the teacher can move the entire class through the program by scheduling the poems towards the average student’s pace. That way, everyone can move through the material at the same rate. Alternatively, each student can work at his or her own pace, each working toward the level certificate in their own time. Lastly, the teacher could assign each passage to be memorized by a due date and then move to the next poem from there. Practice and recitation can be individualized by using the included checklists, therefore creating an environment where each student can master the list at a personally attainable pace.
Do I need to start at the beginning, or can I begin at a different level of my choosing?
We highly recommend that every student begin with Level One and move through the lessons in order by following the Suzuki approach to mastery.
What do you receive with the purchase of the package?
Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization will be shipped to your home or school in an attractive box. Inside the box is a 200-page Teacher’s Manual that includes instructions on how to approach the program, a background on the Suzuki (mastery learning) approach, memory charts, seventy-six poems, twenty speeches, poetry and speech writer biographies, and a helpful appendix that includes, among other things, optional lesson enhancement suggestions for every poem. Additionally, the Teacher’s Manual includes download codes for seven audio downloads as well as a download for the student e-book*. This e-book features selected blackline images for your student to color while listening to the audio. The audio downloads include the following presentations:
- “Nurturing Competent Communicators”
- “Mastery Learning, Ability Development, and Individualized Education”
- “Ten Thousand Times and Then Begins Understanding”
- “On Listening”
- “On Speaking”
- “On Reading”
- “On Writing”
* If you wish to instead purchase a preprinted, spiral-bound Student Book, you may do so by clicking on this link.
What do I need for multiple students?
Classroom instructors will need to purchase one copy of the program. Our copyright policy allows for the teacher to copy pages of the poems from the Student Book and share them with their students. Please note that our copyright policy does not allow the purchased MP3s to be shared or the CDs to be duplicated, so multiple CD sets/MP3s would need to be purchased if the teacher were to assign listening to the poem as homework. Alternatively, the poems can be listened to during class using the set originally purchased and sending home just the printed poem to be read and practiced as homework.
Homeschool parents need only purchase the packaged program once. No additional components of the course are required. With the purchase of the course, parents will receive a code to download a free copy of the Student Book, which can be printed as many times as desired for use in the family. If you wish, you can also order a printed and bound Student Book, but this is strictly optional.
Are you interested in starting your students on a pathway to poetry memorization? April is a great month to begin because it’s National Poetry Month. And since it is a mastery course, there is no need to wait until the fall. Any time is a great time to start to memorize classic poetry, so why not begin today? As an incentive to begin, we are holding a drawing to give away a copy of Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization. To enter, click this link (ended). The drawing will be held at the end of the month.
