I am a Heartland Community Leader and Co-Liaison. Visit my Community Center.
Before a child can read, a passion for stories begins with the delight of hearing a tale from the lips of a loving mother or father.
A parent learns the art of story telling from the early experiences of reading to children. Together the family share
the experience of fantasy, poetry, history, romance, nursery rhymes, and other forms of reading delight. Thus opening
the door to "art" and its variant forms.
The purpose of our Journeys Through Bookland teaching and learning program is to develop, nurture, and promote
reading and story telling in the family. The course of study will begin with the Apprentice program, progress to
Journeyman, and culminate in the Bard of Heartland achievement.
Literature "majors" will immediately recognize that our "Journeys" are a "short course" of sorts.
1. Develop a page addition to your existing web site titled Bard, where the completed requirements for the Apprentice, Journeyman, and Bard of Heartland may be displayed. Upon completion of a required course of study, please inform your mentor.
2. Select 10 nursery rhymes originally published prior to 1950. Read a different nursery rhyme to a child each day for a period of ten days. Record the nursery rhymes selected on your Bard page as a diary entry. As an entry below the nursery rhyme indicate the hidden significance if any. An example: Old Mother Hubbard leaves a kindly feeling toward...both.
3. Select a Zane Grey
4. Display on your Bard page the following pictures with comment. You and a child at your side with you reading a book to them. A second picture of you "perched" on or with one of your children's toys such as a bike, wagon, or doll house. A third picture of your favorite "material" thing or object. These pictures will serve as a commitment and a reminder that you have made a pledge to develop yourself and your family to their fullest through the joy of regular daily reading. And that you realize that to communicate with a toddler through teenager we must first become as one of them, at least for awhile. The material object picture? Think about it!
5. Pledge to participate in a rapid reading course. Now you may begin the Journeyman program with this pledge and satisfactory completion of 1 - 4.
Journeyman-
1. Tape a nursery rhyme published after 1950 and send the tape to a grandchild or other relative. Make a diary entry on your Bard page along with comment and correspondence received.
2. Julia Strudwick Tutwiler women's prison in Alabama is one of the few, which allow mothers to tape stories which are sent to their children. Discuss this fact with a child and make a diary entry on your Bards page.
3. With your child's help, write a poem (substitute if necessary). It is a great misfortune if a person grows up without an appreciation of poetry when it is so simple a matter to give the young an abiding love for it. A little help now and then, a word of appreciation, a manifestation of pleasure when reading it and almost without effort the child begins to read and love poetry as he does good prose. Record what you and your child have written on your Bards page as a diary entry.
4. The legendary great, the half historical personages that have been for so many centuries been the inspiration of youths of many lands are being translated for the first time. Select a recent translation (after 1990) from at least two different lands or cultures. Carefully read the story before hand and then tell the story to your child. Reading it aloud will not be half so effective. Select a fable or short story at first. Be sure you have the plot in your mind, make the hero and the other characters seem very real to yourself, picture the scenes vividly in you mind's eye, and you are ready to begin. Use your own words, talk naturally, look your children in the eyes, and supply many details. An example.
The recital of a bare plot is not an interesting story. For instance: "A boy on his way to school found a yellowbird's nest with four little birds in it," is the recitation of a bare plot. What do you think of the form following?
"John told me an interesting story this morning. As he was coming to school today he saw a little yellowbird fly from the bushes by the corner of Mr. Brown's yard. He parted the leaves and looked into the bush, but for quite a while he could see nothing. At last, however, he spied..."
The latter rendering is perhaps an example of an oral tradition which was translated many years later. And is certainly more interesting to a child with the detail than a bland plot.
Make a recording of your rendition. After several days have passed, sit down as a family and play the tape. Record your observations and other useful information as a diary entry on your Bards page.
Bard of Heartland-
Complete five of the following
1. Discuss with your family a local issue. As a family compose, present, and have published a "Letter to The Editor" of your local newspaper.
2. Attend a show and tell session with a child
3. Participate in a school "careers day" or similar activity.
4. Attend a "rally", PTA meeting or discussion group with your family.
5. Attend a piano or dance recital and serve on a committee such as food or program with your family.
6. As a family compose a short speech which you would give to an imaginary National Convention of a national party espousing a cherished social cause in which you have firm convictions.
7. Participate in a recycling program with your family and discuss the reasons for your participation.
8. Eat one meal together as a family for at least one week. Discuss what happened.
9. Abstain from watching television for one week and either read together as a family or listen to a story time on radio presentation for the week.
10. Attend two "cultural events" in your community of your children's choice.
Complete one of the following
1. Join a Toastmasters club or enter into a formal debate at the community of college level.
2. Complete a self enrichment program of your choice.
3. Develop and publish a "Book That Talks" for use by your local library.
Now that you have completed all of the requirements for The Bard of Heartland recognition you have but one task to complete, which is a celebration in the tradition of King Arthur in which chivalry, merriment, and joy making reined supreme. Complete one of the following and distribute by any means other than "spamming" to all Heartland leadership.
1. A poem, an ode, or ballad which you have composed with the family of Heartland as the central theme.
2. An original composition in midi format accompanied with lyrics.
Or the following
Personally enroll 5 participants in the Journeys Through Bookland Project.
Bard Diary