Memorize that poetry!

Brain research is an important area of study recently. New technology has allowed scientists to observe the workings of the brain more completely than ever before. One interesting fact that has been discovered is that the brains of musicians and mathematicians are more fully developed that those of most other people. Something these two careers have in common is memorization. Mathematicians memorize facts and formulae; musicians memorize music.In addition it has been discovered that these areas of the brain can be developed through making use of memory.
In studies of language acquisition (Stephen Krashen among others) it has been found that children who learn nursery rhymes and poems have a greater facility in both spoken and written language. They are able to make use of these practiced language patterns.
Our students will be learning poems on a regular basis. There are different ways of learning. You may find your child learns the assigned poem best by reading it over and over; some may find it easier to learn through writing it or illustrating it. For some it may be best to hear it read repeatedly. The poem will be counted as part of the homework grade. We hope you will help your child with this fun and important homeowrk.