Pure Poetry

So much in homeschooling, as in life, is trial and error. We try something, and if it doesn't work, we try something else. And, we keep on doing that with every kid, until we hit upon something that works, which may not be the thing that worked for another kid. My kids are all brilliant (of course!) but sometimes, I will admit, I do feel like I am beating my head against a wall, trying to put knowledge into their heads. Last week, Weston got into the poetry lessons in his Grammar book, and I can tell you there were real tears as we tried to work through the lessons in the book. It wasn't pretty. And, I knew that game plan wasn't going to work. I was wishing (but not really) that he was old enough to relate to the scene in Dead Poets Society, where Robin William's character proclaims that "Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do..." But, then I realized, that, though Weston may not be old enough to care about wooing women yet, there is another love in his life that I might be able to use to the same end: sports. So, I tracked down a copy of "Casey at the Bat." With all my hopes of teaching rhythm and rhyme resting on this one tool, I stepped up to the plate. The subject matter was instantly tantalizing to my sports-minded student, and by the time we were done with class, he was begging me to let him read it "one more time" and to rewrite the ending to make it "better." Truly, it felt like a homeschool home run. It doesn't happen every day, but I'll take my victories where I can get them.