The Bards & Poets series provides twenty-eight weekly lessons in composition, literary analysis, vocabulary development, grammar, usage, and mechanics. The second level follows the Narrative stage of the progymnasmata, and focuses on sentence and paragraph construction skills. It is distinguished by the increasing length of narratives and an emphasis on the writing sequence (plan, write, revise). Poetry lessons are designed to foster delight as well as identify basic forms and literary devices. Lessons, likewise, include grammar practice (including extensive sentence diagramming) and vocabulary exercises. The Student Book provides instruction directly to the student. It is assumed, however, that the course is being taught by the parent rather than the student working independently. Weekly lessons are laid out in a step-by-step fashion. Background information on poets and authors as well as their works is provided. The student is expected to compile a Commonplace Book where prose and poetry selections are copied. It also becomes a collection place for any literary tidbits or thoughts that surface while completing the lessons. In contrast, the Writer's Journal is the place where the student records vocabulary lessons and works on sentence diagrams, lists literary devices when studied, and completes writing assignments. Instructions for setting up the Writer's Journal and Commonplace Book are included in the appendices of the Student Book. Other appendices include grammar terms and definitions, narrative elements, and a bibliography. 503 pgs, pb.
Required Books & Resources: Bards & Poets Level II Teaching Helps, Sentence Sense, Flashcards (can make your own or use pdf from website), index card box and dividers, and two composition books.
Recommended Literature: Poetry Anthology (Favorite Poems Old & New),English Literature for Boys and Girls, and lots of excellent reading selections (i.e. Books, Books, Books).
Recommended Resources: Book of Centuries Historical Timeline Notebook, Quizlet (online flashcard review set), Key to Harvey's Practical English Grammar (suggested for answers to extra exercises; all answers to lesson exercises are included in Teaching Helps), Dictionary (print), Thesaurus, and Rhyming Dictionary.
Twenty-eight grammar and composition lessons. Every lesson includes:
Poetry & Prose—literary analysis: reading and comprehending the basic elements of a story or poem, including characters, setting, plot, story sequence, literary context, poetic rhyme & meter (scansion)
Language Logic—grammar and word usage: grammar lessons applied to sentences from the narrative or poetry selection and coordinated with Harvey's Revised Grammar, vocabulary study, parsing the parts of speech, sentence diagramming, and dictation
Eloquent Expression—style development: building copia (abundant and ready supply) of words and construction, paraphrasing, figures of speech, figures of description
Classical Composition—imitation of a worthy literary model: outlining and retelling a narrative, summarizing, working with chronology, and employing the writing sequence (plan, write, revise)Commonplace Book—a time-honored practice for writers of all ages: collecting and copying worthy literary selections
