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Do you have a child in primary school who must regularly learn poetry? This technique will definitely interest you! It allows you to learn any text easily and without stress.
It’s the start of the school year and the return to school will most certainly mean new poetry for the children to learn. How can we ensure that they can memorize these sometimes (very) long texts without difficulty? Here is a foolproof tip, shared by a pro with our colleagues at Magicmaman.
Understand to learn well
To learn a concept (or the lines of a poem), it is above all necessary to understand it. According to the parent coach specializing in learning disorders, Déborah Mitouard, to learn poetry well, you must grasp its meaning. Before you even start learning it, ask your child to read his text aloud and ask you the meaning of terms he doesn’t understand. By understanding what he is reciting, it will be easier for him to memorize his poetry.
Revise step by step
The coach’s other advice is to plan ahead. This allows you to spread out the revision sessions, to memorize it well. And at each session, she advises opting for the stanza method. It’s about learning poetry by stanza and cutting each part line by line, learning the first, then the second and finally combining the two. And so on for the rest of the poetry, adding a verse each time and trying to recite everything from the beginning with each addition. A way of doing things to repeat with each of the stanzas, before having the child recite his poetry in full.
Spread out revisions over time
This method, although very effective, is however a little time-consuming. It therefore requires that the child and his parent have time to review poetry every day, little by little. You should therefore not do it the evening before but several days/weeks in advance. Start by learning the first stanza during the first day, then review it the next day by adding learning the second stanza… Until you finish the poetry in a week. The technique, applied regularly, will allow your child to master his poetry in just a few days.
If the difficulty is still too great for the child, it is possible to divide the stanzas in two, for example. Finally, don’t get upset if your child can’t do it: know that memorization skills are less effective in cases of stress or anxiety. It is therefore essential that this moment be fun and relaxed, so that the poetry is well remembered and as quickly as possible. You can make the moment fun by asking your child to sing or mime their poetry: giggles guaranteed!
Slide: Helping your child boost their concentration and memory