THE SHORT AND THE SMALL Some uncharitable observers state that the short story is an inferior form of literature – a ‘mall’ story in fact! – designed for those with the attention span of a sparrow. Not so; in its most sublime manifestation, the genre stands as high as any prose form. The life of […]
BLOCK: G6 Language
The Australian Word: Student Writing Sample
FLAMER This is a modern Australian tale collectively created by my students in a term-long teacher-education course on Storywriting I conducted in 1980. Most of the students became, in time, talented story-creators in their own right. This story may happen anywhere, any time, it may have happened already. Somewhere in the center of this vast […]
Grammatike-Grammatikos: Street Names and Language
A HOST OF GOLDEN STREET NAMES How more interesting a town is when its street names are based on a colorful theme of some kind. It might be wildflowers; where one can live in Christmas Bell Close, or Rocklily Lane. Perhaps it is the sacred sites of military battles – Bullecourte Court or Gallipoli Retreat. […]
Grammatike-Grammatikos: Etymology
THREE INCARNATIONS OF THE HERALD The following is an example of sleuthing the etymology of a word; similar exercises and salutary for children, where research skills are learned, language extension enhanced and even history explored: One does not so much read the word Herald in the Sydney newspaper’s masthead, as see it. This has the […]
Grammatike-Grammatikos: Rhythms in Writing
THE LONG AND SHORT OF GREEK RHYTHMS The word pyrrhic is the only one of the classic twelve Greek rhythm names to be popularly embraced by English. It is mainly used when describing a pyrrhic victory: one in which both sides of the battle are immolated – figuratively speaking of course. The word, through derived […]
Grammatike-Grammatikos: Reading in 6th Grade
“IT’S TIME TO READ!” The official reading, or ‘Library’, main lesson takes place, according to Rudolf Steiner’s indications, at the end of Class 2. By early Class 3, the children, collectively at least, should read with a fair degree of fluency. This continues to improve throughout primary, with the class actually attaining a better literary […]