One of the best ways to introduce Chesterton to children is his poetry – and one of his best poems is Lepanto. Every October 7th, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the children and I listen to a recording of Lepanto like the one here:
At the same time, we read the poem. The kids have pencils and highlighters in hand – anything that sticks out to them, or anything that they don’t completely understand, they mark! This helps teach them good listening skills and to not interrupt the recitation of the poem.
Here is a link to a great history of the battle:
After we discuss the history of the battle, we discuss the poem. Later on in the evening we pray the Rosary – a powerful weapon, indeed.
And here is a free download of Lepanto! Enjoy!