Product Description

This is an invaluable collection of poetry for use by teachers at every stage of school life from primary to mid-teens. The poems are arranged by age of the child from six to fourteen, and provide support for the subject matter of lessons, from botany and physics to history and astronomy. They encompass a wide variety of moods from gratitude and wonder at the natural world to the courage and heroism of individuals pitted against the odds, and range from ancient Egypt to modern times. Works by well-known poets - Shakespeare, Blake, Wordsworth, Browning - are found together with the refreshingly unfamiliar. Sections on alliterative verse, riddles, rongue-twisters, action verses and the seasons of the year provide a stimulus for practical activities in the classroom. Also included are meditative verses for teachers to help them deepen their understanding of the children in their care. A resource book to treasure, it will awaken a love of poetry in both young and old.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #240638 in Books
• Published on: 1999-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Review
'It was a great joy to many Waldorf teachers when this classic resource was finally republished in 1998. Written from the author's personal collection for use in the classroom, it is a treasure-trove of verses addressing themes across the curriculum in an easy to find organization. From the beautiful to the funny, from action verses to math to grammar to history to meditations for teachers (to name but some), you're sure to find inspiration here.' -- Kristin, Waldorf Resources Consumer Reviews (www.waldorfresources.org) 'Simply put, this book is easily one of the best "resource" purchases I've made so far. I use it to find seasonal or subject-appropriate material and my children read it on their own too. Worth every cent.' Elizabeth H., Waldorf Resources Consumer Reviews

About the Author
Heather Thomas was, for many years, a teacher at the Rudolf Steiner School, Kings Langley. She died in 2008.

Customer Reviews

an indispensable Waldorf resource
I'm surprised that I'm the first person to review this item!

This wonderful collection edited by Heather Thomas is a gem for homeschooling families using the Waldorf method. Wonderful for all ages, this anthology includes poems and verses for morning and evening, graces, prayers, and meditations for parents and teachers as well as (from the table of contents):

Action Verses
Finger Games
Skipping
Fables
Animals
Farming and Building
Numbers
Tongue Twisters
Grammar
Alphabet
Parts of Speech
Voewls
Consonants
Riddles and Runes
Alliteration
The Elements and Nature Spirits
Flowers and Trees
Earth, Sun and Stars
Seasons
Autumn
Winter and Christmas
Spring and Easter
Summer
History
Imagination
Shakespeare
Narrative Poems

Each section is arranged roughly by age, so that the verses and poems toward the end of the book are suitable for high school use, where earlier sections like Fables (2nd grade) and Farming and Building (3rd grade) work well for elementary school. In short, this is a book you will turn to time and time again.

Don't hesitate to purchase this one! It's a treasure.

I Use It All the Time
This book is very helpful to me as a Waldorf teacher for finding verses to use in Circle, as "graces" before meals, opening and closing verses, poems for recitation, and to practice letter sounds, to name a few. And this is only in first grade. I foresee using it all eight years. My only complaint is that I can't use some of the verses or have to alter them for use in a public charter school because of the references to God or angels, etc.

Excellent resource
This is a great book with a huge content of poems, verses, rhymes, songs and prayer. There is a little something for every occasion, some old favourites and some never heard before. The reason this book has received only 4 stars is due to the number of entries with a Christian tone, it is however, nothing that could not be remedied with the changing of a word or two. All in all a great buy.