Teaching Childrens Poetry

Children's writer and poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater leads us on an adventure through poetry, pointing out craft elements along the way that students can use to improve all their writing, from idea finding to language play. "Poems wake us up, keep us company, and remind us that our world is big and small," Amy explains. "And, too, poems teach us how to write. Anything." This is a practical book designed for every classroom teacher. Each lesson exploration includes three poems, one by a contemporary adult poet and two by students in grades 2 through 8, which serve as models to illustrate how poetry teaches writers to: find ideas, choose perspective and point of view, structure texts, play with language, craft beginnings and endings, choose titles. Students will learn how to replicate the craft techniques found in poetry to strengthen all writing, from fiction to opinion, from personal narrative to information. "Poets arrange words and phrases just as prose writers do, simply in tighter spaces," Amy argues. "In the tight space of poetry, readers can identify writing techniques after reading one page, not thirty pages."

For nearly 20 years, this invaluable primer for unleashing children's creative imaginations has been lovingly and successfully used in countless classrooms across the country. In this vivid account of his experience teaching poetry to Manhattan schoolchildren, Kenneth Koch describes his inventive methods and shows how poetry became exciting for these students for the first time. Featuring numerous examples of the students' works, this remarkable classic is a valuable text for all those who care about educating the young.

Creative Approaches to Poetry for the Primary Framework for Literacy supports teachers in planning, teaching and, most importantly, enjoying poetry with their pupils. With an emphasis on creative, cross curricular approaches the authors explore tried and tested methods of teaching poetry in an engaging and comprehensive manner. A carefully considered range of poems has been included in order to expand children’s repertoires in a variety of poetic forms. Chapters cover: how to develop a range of creative approaches to teaching poetry, involving visualisation, drama, choral speaking, performance, discussion and writing how to engage children from a variety of backgrounds and abilities in experiencing poetry in its many forms integrating the teaching of poetry with all other areas of the curriculum including ICT and citizenship effectively linking all work to the KS1 poetry units of the renewed Primary National Framework for Literacy an innovative model that takes children on a journey beginning before they meet the poem through to becoming poets themselves. This accessible and user-friendly book includes informative case studies, photographs and children’s work to demonstrate alternative routes to working with poetry. It will prove an invaluable resource for all primary teachers seeking to employ progressive and effective strategies in the teaching of poetry.

In 1995, the school diagnostician called a seven-year-old "the worst child seen in 20 years of teaching." Can a child's fate be sealed by such a diagnosis? Well, in 2018, that boy received a Ph.D. from Oxford University. Do you have a child struggling with reading? What labels has your child been given? How do you feel they will progress through school? This is a story for you. --- Every parent has high hopes for their children. When Lois Letchford learns her son has been diagnosed with a low IQ at the end of grade one, she refuses to give up on his future. After thorough testing, Nicholas proves to have no spatial awareness, limited concentration, and can only read ten words. Although discouraged, Lois knows things have to improve. After all, her son is young, and every child learns at their own pace. But once Nicholas is labeled "learning disabled," a designation considered more derogatory than "dyslexia," the world of education is quick to cast him aside. Determined to prove them all wrong, Lois temporarily removes her son from the school system and begins working with him one-on-one. She has no formal reading education herself, and no one to guide her. But she has hope and the strength of will to persevere. And sometimes that's all you need. What happens next is a journey--spanning three continents, unique teaching experiments, never-ending battles with the school system, a mother's discovery of her own learning blocks, and a bond fueled by the desire to rid Nicholas of the "disabled" label. "Reversed" is a memoir of profound determination that follows the highs and lows of overcoming impossible odds, turning one woman into a passionate teacher for children who have been left behind. Nothing is impossible when one digs deep, and looks at students through a new lens.

"Children are poets before they grow up and they should live with poems. I hope this book will encourage them to do so."—Eleanor Roosevelt Beloved and treasured for over 60 years, here is the only poetry collection your family needs—brimming with favorite, classic poems carefully selected to inspire young readers. Over 700 classic and modern poems written by poets from William Shakespeare to J. R. R. Tolkien, Emily Dickinson to Langston Hughes, and covering a range of favorite topics—pets, playtime, family, nature, and nonsense—ensure that there’s a poem to please every child. A truly comprehensive collection that is the ideal way of introducing children to the joys of reading poetry. "If your children think they don't like poetry, expose them to this collection . . . and I defy them to resist its magic."—Kirkus "A fine book for parents to read aloud to their children."—Library Journal "This volume stands out for the comprehensiveness of its selection."—The Horn Book

This is an utterly original and completely beguiling prose novel about a boy who has to write a poem, and then another, and then even more. Soon the little boy is writing about all sorts of things he has not really come to terms with, and astounding things start to happen.

An illustrated introduction to the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

Grade level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, p, e, i, s, t.