Poetry

...the sound of silence...amplified.

• Receives less attention than other literary forms
• Students have negative attitudes
• Adult attitudes affect children's perceptions

From Like to Loathing

Like

• Nursery Rhymes
• Jingles
• Songs
• Straight forward meaning
• Choice

Loathing

• Memorizing
• Writing/reciting
• Analyzing
• Overzealous teachers
• Figurative language
• Free verse
• Work associated with poetry

Encourage feeling rather than knowing...

Building Appreciation

• Read aloud - include rhythm
• Use humerous poetry as a bridge
• Consistent exposure - share poetry daily
• Include across curriculum
• Introduce music
• Share with choral reading/speaking
• Share poetry you enjoy

National Council of Teachers of English Poetry Award

Forms of Poetry

• Narrative
• Lyric
• Limericks
• Haiku
• Free Verse
• Reverses
• Concrete Poems

Building a Collection

• Poems that match differing tasks
• Poems for different levels of sophistication
• Light/humerus poems
• Emotion and image evoking poetry
• Poetry that plays with sound

Formats

Anthology

• Book that includes multiple authors
• Boquet of voices

Collections

• Single topic collections
• By multiple or single author
• Single format collections

Single Poem Picture Books

• Taste of traditional poetry
• Introduces sophisticated poetry
• Imagery attracts reluctant readers

Verse Novels

• Cross boundries
• Poetry classified as a genre
• Rhythmic language - engages children

By sharing and enjoying poetry frequently, teachers

Thank you