Summary
Summary:
The poem "Whose Child is This?" explores the roles of a parent and a teacher in a child's upbringing. The speaker inquires about the child, and both the parent and teacher take pride in their responsibilities. The parent emphasizes care and moral guidance, while the teacher focuses on education and kindness. Ultimately, they together claim the child as "Ours," highlighting their collaborative effort in nurturing and training the child.
Questions and Activities:
- 1. The speaker asks "Whose child is this?"
- 2. The question is asked three times.
- 3. The parent answers in stanza 1, the teacher in stanza 2, and both in stanza 3.
Individual and Shared Activities:
- What the parent does: gives a bath
- What the teacher does: teaches him how to be kind
- What both do: train and love the child together
Discussion Prompt:
Groups should discuss why both the parent and teacher express joy and ownership of the child by saying "Mine" and "Ours."
A Read the poem aloud and then recite it to the class.
Whose Child is This?
"Whose child is this?" I asked one day Seeing a little one out at play. "Mine", said the parent with a tender smile.
"Mine to keep a little while To bathe his hands and comb his hair, To tell him what he is to wear,
To prepare him that he may always be good And each day do the things he should."
"Whose child is this?" I asked again, As the door opened and someone came in "Mine", said the teacher with the same tender smile.
"Mine to keep just for a little while,
To teach him how to be gentle and kind.
To train and direct his dear little mind,
To help him live by every rule
And get the best he can from school."
"Whose child is this?" I ask once more,
Just as the little one entered the door.
"Ours", said the parent and the teacher as they smiled,
And each took the hand of the little child.
"Ours to love and train together Ours this blessed task forever."
[Anonymous]
Note:
tender = kind; gentle; loving
to bathe to wash
to train = to teach
blessed = noble
B Read the poem silently and answer these questions:
1 Who asked the question, "Whose Child is This?" in the poem?
2 How many times did he / she ask the question, "Whose child is this?"
3 Who answered the question in stanzas 1, 2, and 3?
C Read the poem silently again and list the things or activities both the parent and the teacher do individually and together. One is done for you.
| What the parent does | What the teacher does | What both the parent and the teacher do |
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D Discuss in groups and write an answer to this question.
Why do both parent and teacher smile and answer the question, "Whose child is this?" by saying "Mine" and "Ours"?
