A new idea is brewing........

Honestly, I have felt very scattered this past week.  I've had a lot of projects going on at home (book reorganization, garage sale, etc.) and haven't gotten up to work at the Montessori school as much as I would have liked.  However, ideas about things to make and do for the classroom are never far from my mind. 

A few weeks back, Jennifer (AKA Montessori Mama) wrote about her artist baskets.  And recently that got me thinking about making poetry baskets for the classroom this year.  Another thing that has allowed this idea to percolate in my mind is the fact that I've come across two favorite and forgotten vintage poetry books for children during all my reorganizing. 

The book on the right has a copyright of 1945.  I am not sure where I got it, but I vaguely remember buying it MANY years ago in an antique store.  It has a price of $3.00 written on the inside cover page.  The one on the left is even older.  I cannot, however, find a copyright date in it. It belonged to my Great-Aunt Willie (who died before I was born).  She was a school teacher back in the day and must have used this book in her teaching.  I am pretty sure she taught in a one-room schoolhouse.  I have very vivid memories of this book from my childhood.  When I was probably around 8 or 9 years old (about 30 years ago!!) I remember reading through the poems and typing out my favorites on our old typewriter (non-electric, WAAAYY before word processors).  I even remember my favorite poem from this book.  I have typed it below for you.  It is a little morbid, but for some reason it was my favorite.

FOR GRANDPA'S SAKE

My grandpa went to war long years ago--

I never saw him, but they told me so,

And how, after a battle, sad news came,

Among the "missing" was my grandpa's name.

They never heard of him again, they said,

And so we know that grandpa must be dead;

And when I think of him, so good and brave,

I wish we knew where he had found a grave.

When Decoration Day comes, every year,

I feel so sad, and sometimes shed a tear,

To see the soldiers' graves all spread with flowers,

While grandpa cannot have one rose of ours.

So if some little Southern girl should know

A nameless grave where never blossoms grow,

I'd love her so, if there some flowers she'd lay,

For grandpa's sake, this Decoration Day.

I really don't know why I liked this poem so much.  Maybe it is because I never knew my own maternal Grandma since she died a month before I was born.  Maybe I connected with the poem based on that as well as the fact that my great-aunt Willie (whom the book belonged to) was her sister.  Anyway, I have good memories of reading through these poems and typing them out on our clacky old typewriter.

When I was reading through the yellow poetry book, I found another that brought back a vivid childhood memory.  My mom sang this poem to me while pushing me on the swingset in our backyard.  I had forgotten about it completely until seeing the words again.

THE SWING        By Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,

Down on the roof so brown--

Up in the air I go flying again,

Up in the air and down!

Isn't that cool?  I mean cool that my mom whipped out a poem to go with a favorite childhood activity.  Now mind you, I don't recall her reciting poetry willy-nilly during my growing-up years, but even so, this little poem has evoked a very special memory for me even decades later.

So.....................that got me thinking about selecting some special seasonal poems to share with the children at Montessori this year.  And to piggyback on Jennifer's artist baskets, I was thinking about making up poetry baskets with poems we know from line time along with appropriately related hands-on objects.  For example, I may have an autumn poem in a basket with silk fall leaves. 

Anyway, that's the idea that is currently brewing.  So I've been burning the midnight oil looking for really great little poems to use.  I've found several so far and will probably share some of them soon.  I want to put together a whole basket for the big REVEAL, however.  Stay tuned...........

Comments

[Caitlin]

Laura! The Swing was my favorite poem as a little girl. I can still recite it by memory! What a treat to find that others enjoy it too :o) I've been checking out your archives as I started watching your blog months after you started it. I'm still loving all of it!

[French Knots]

Goodness I had forgotten I ever knoew The Swing poem, thanks for re-awakening a childhood memory.

[Rebekah Lee]

I was wondering if you ever looked at Here's A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry edited by Jane Yolen.It has such lovely illustrations and I think it has that swing poem in it, too.

Thanks for your blog. I was looking for a helpful Montessori blog and yours is definitely fits the bill.