How to modify this assignment

Shorten it. Two lines if it has to be — so it will be less than 30 seconds of his whole life. If the getting up in front of everybody is a major trauma, arrange for a private session wtih the teacher.

Memorization can be improved — and it should be worked on *more* if you’re bad at it because it will always hold him back — but why let it hold him back more than it has to?

I don’t much like the assignment for any child. If a student wants to memorize a poem, wonderful. If they don’t, I don’t think any child should be forced to memorize a poem. This is a traditional task and not one I’ve ever seen much value in.

Reading poems is wonderful as it writing them. How many lines has he been asked to memorize? How many do you feel he could memorize?

You could go one of three ways with this. You could give it a try and he might suprise you. You read the first line outloud, with some style, and have him try to repeat it. If he can do that, stop there for the first day. Have him say it every once in a while as you go through the rest of the day especially the last thing at night. If he remembers it the next day, read him a second line. Repeat the process. You might find after a few days that he has memorized it -with your help. Then you could work on helping him to be comfortable reciting it in front of the class.

You could also remind the teacher of his issues and ask for a modified assignment of only a few lines or ask to be excused from the assignment altogether again citing his word retrieval issues and memory issues.

Good luck.

Good luck.

My son had a similiar assignment and he found it helpful to put the poem to a tune. I started by saying the lines to the “beat” of the poem and he went with the tune and ended up singing it. It really helped remembering it. When he recited it in class, he spoke it but when he was had trouble with the next word, the song helped remind him.

I too did not like this idea when my son was in 3rd grade, he has a double whamy, LD and a Vision Disablity (Nystagmus where eyes constantly move). He is now in 7th grade. I am grateful for those days he had to get up in front of the class. My sons tchr. gave him the option of saying a poem of his choice (usually from Shel Silverstein). Unless you have a real good reason for him not to go in front of the class (other than he’s shy and doesn’t want to—isn’t that all of us?), i would back the tchr. up and encourage him to do a poem of his choice. There will be other battles for you to fight, trust me, this is not major. My son surprises me everyday with things he accomplishes. Sometimes i give to much credit to the LD/VD, but i am learning not to. Think of this as part of the learning process, not a punishment. It took my son longer than others to do a poem, but he did it! I know this isn’t the same advice as the others, but it is another opinion. Each child is different, and we always have to remember that. All we can do is gather facts and come to our own conclusion for what is best for our child! Good Luck! Sue :)

As a resource teacher, I am inclined to agree that doing the asignment, but perhaps in a modified way, will benefit your son. Kids still need to memorize and it is a tough skill to learn. The rhythm of poetry lends itself to the memorization process and helps a student develop this valuable skill. Try the poems of Ogden Nash. They’re short and funny.

Our son had to write a poem (8 lines minimum), memorize it, and present it to the class. I never thought he would be able to do it.

We decided when he wrote it he should try to give it a rhythm like a rap song so he could snap his fingers to it and almost sing it. We practiced his “rap poem” over and over again, and quizzed him often — “what’s the next line after …”

When he got up to do it, it wasn’t perfect, but he was comfortable enough to give it his best try and was reasonably successful.

Wonder if you could modify the assignment by allowing him to sing a song to a record? Many lyrics are poems. Or recite the words to a song he knows really well?

I believe I can fly…
I believe I can touch the sky…

In case you want them, here are the words…(I’d just have the student pick part of them.) Got them from the following site which also has a MIDI file for the song if you wanted to download it so the student could hear it.

http://www.redsal.com/believe1.htm

–––––––––––––––-

I Believe I Can Fly
( Words and Music By R.Kelly )

I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I’m leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it…..Then I can do it
If I just believe it…..There’s nothing to it
I believe I can fly…..I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it ev’ry night and day…..Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar…..See me running through that open door
I believe I can fly….I believe I can fly…..I believe I can fly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so awful loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me

If I can see it…..Then I can do it
If I just believe it…..There’s nothing to it
I believe I can fly…..I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it ev’ry night and day…..Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar…..See me running through that open door
I believe I can fly….I believe I can fly…..I believe I can fly

If I can see it…..Then I can do it
If I just believe it…..There’s nothing to it
I believe I can fly…..I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it ev’ry night and day…..Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar…..See me running through that open door
I believe I can fly….I believe I can fly…..I believe I can fly

Thanks for all the valuable input. Here is what the teacher did for him. Since they did not get to pick their own poem she modified the assignment grading for him. What she did was had him recite it in front of the class while he drew pictures of what he felt the poem meant on the board. She knew he was very visual and an excellant drawer. The kids enjoyed his illistrations and did not pickup on his struggles to find the words. Since his illistrations showed he studied the poem and knew it despite his obvious difficulties finding the words she gave him “extra” credit for his illistrations. I thought this was great forward thinking on the teachers part!

Wow! It is SO refreshing to hear of a teacher that uses good sense! Good for him and her!

Janis

So the teacher didn’t think that “doing tough things is good for you” and the more terrifying they are the better…. :) :) :) Public recitation is too often regarded as such.

How wonderful!! What a wonderful teacher to be able to adapt to his “individual needs” to do the work required, and allow him to be proud of himself! That’s what it’s all about. Sue :)

Thank you. I love that song and every time I hear it I think of my son and his never ending hard work and great attitude.