Chapter 8: Poetry I loved this chapter on poetry and wrote down about 50 books to check out at my local library! I believe that poetry is something that teachers don’t utilize enough with students. I hope to acquire a database of quality poetry that I can share with students each day. There are many activities that you can do with poetry to help students who are learning to read and write. It was important to read and understand that there is no set definition for poetry and, as with other forms of art, students need to be exposed to it a lot so that they can begin to form opinions about what they like and dislike. I appreciated the research shared about what types of poetry students prefer at different ages. There are many elements of poetry discussed in the book, which can help ensure that students are exposed to a wide variety of poetry showing examples of many different types of poems. I really liked the sections on the forms of poetry because I would like to utilize these as a way to study different poetry. I appreciated the examples of poems given for each different form. There were many great poets shared in this chapter and I think it would be neat to incorporate one or two of these in with the author studies that I plan to do with my students. The chapter shared lots of ideas for teaching with poetry and the ones I found most helpful were the ideas for writing poetry.
Poetry was never something I enjoyed. However this chapter gave me a new look at poetry. Back when I was in high school and my teacher would read poetry to us and then ask questions, I could never answer them because I usually didn’t understand the poem. This chapter does a really nice job of laying out the different elements to poetry. And now is something that I can understand. I really liked the poems that were in the text and would like to think that I can use these someday. Jolene
Laura, I also took down names of books to follow up with. I agree with you that they section on forms of poetry was useful in better defining the different types of poetry.
I was one of those people that doesn't really care for poetry. This chapter has really opened my eyes on what how important poetry can be. I also didn't realize how big of a field poetry could be. My grandma has little sayings for so many different instances in life. I now realize that they where short little poems created for children to help them remember different thing. I also didn't realize that there are so many different poems out there. I personally didn't think there was that much poetry that was for children. I personally have to admit I enjoy the poetry for the younger crowd. After reading this chapter I know understand that poetry is an important part of understanding our language and I need to become more aquainted with it.
Chapter 8 Poetry I've always enjoyed poetry but never thought about how much it is used everyday. Poetry can be used to help teach shapes, rhyming, science,color, and much more. As I was reading through this chapter I realized that poetry is used alot. Like when kids jump rope on the playground, the students say things like Cinderella dressed in yellow-went up stairs to kiss a fellow-made a mistake and kissed a snake--how many kisses did it take--one--two. I never thought about that being a form of poetry until I read this chapter. Children really like poem because they are catchy and rhymes, which makes them easier to rememeber.It even talked about on page 348 how poems can be used to help students who cannot read. The reason behind this is that poems are easy to memorizes and therefore the student become more familar with words and start to read. My daughter just wrote a poem for earth day. A Plant by the Road-There once was a plant by the road--Who had know were to go--He lost his green leaves--And now he believes--He'll live by a stream with a toad! It didn't win but I thought it was cute and showed potential. In conclusion I learned from chapter 8 that poetry is used alot more than I had realized and children really learn from it and love it.
Jolene, I remember in high school doing poetry and never quite understanding what the poem was about. But after reading this chapter I'm thinking I might get a little more out of the poems and understand them more. I never really liked poetry either, but think now that poetry is kind of cool and interesting. I prefer youth poems to adult poems though they are funny and easier to understand.
Tamika M. Poetry was not one of my favorite areas of reading. I didn’t like it in school but now as an adult I think I have grown into liking it. I have gone to some of the poetry nights that we have here in the local areas. Poetry is a way for you to express I feel that the earlier we introduce our kids to this type of literature the better it is for their understanding. Young children need to start hearing poetry as early as pr-k. I feel that it will help to expend their reading and enjoyment of choosing different types of books. As teacher we need to make sure that the parents understand that their children need to read these types of books to be a successful student in the years to come in their schooling.
Tamika M. In response to Jody I was just like you in school, I too didn't understand what poetry was all about. I know now what the purpose of it is all about now. I will be looking for a lot of the poetry books that the chapter talked about. I would like to add these books to my collection as well as read them with my kids.
I very much enjoyed this chapter on poetry because, unlike the other chapters that quickly cover parts of books, this one was able to give entire poems within the text, helping each type of poetry to become more clear. I look at poetry differently after reading this chapter since I never knew all the types of poetry. It always seemed to me that, for older students and adults, poetry was artistic, somber, maybe even boring. However, it is clear now that humorous poetry is not just for younger children, it is for everyone. I especially like the many suggestions on how to use poetry in the class; how it can help development of language and abstract ideas; what types of poetry encourage further activities in the classroom. And last, as always, I enjoyed the suggestions at the end of the chapter on activities to do with a classroom of students: individual writing exercises, reciting poetry as a class, making books out of their poetry, and so on. It gave me so many ideas on things not only to do for my students, but also with my son.
Laura, I agree with you, I also enjoy poetry for children better than "older age" poetry. In high school, we had to dissect every stanza, every line, every word to find hidden meaning. I'll admit that I was ok at that, but it made it so tedious and boring. Getting back to the fun, humorous, and imagery-filled poems of earlier childhood is great fun. Sarah
Laura A, I also enjoyed the different forms of poetry listed. Along with the idea of making a book of poetry for each student, it seems like it would be fun to encourage their writing of each form of poetry for that book. Sarah
I was suprised to see the This Land Is Your Land book featured on p. 325. I did a two week unit on communities from our new third grade social studies book. This book was suggested as a supplement. I had the students learn This Land Is your Land and sing it at the first of each lesson. They loved it and would remind me if I forgot. It helped to break down the resistance some students have to doing work. Several places in the chapter there were suggestions on how to use poetry in any subject. I use books from our library to add to lessons, but I had never thought of using poetry in a science lesson, for example. What a wonderful way to present facts or hook students into a topic. I can see how students gifted in writing would enjoy writing a poem that includes new facts to share with their classmates. I am so impressed that this text includes so many teaching ideas to make our teaching more interesting to our students. MCollins
I've started taking my text with me when I sub at the elementary (most days). When I need a supplement or hook to a lesson, I check my book to see if it has any suggestions. If the book I want is checked out, sometimes that author has something else wonderful. Recently in Kindergarten the spring book I wanted wasn't in, but there was a Henry and Mudge book that was just perfect for the end of the day.
There were so many things in chapter 8 that I thought were informative. Poetry has never something that I was into or like very much, so I did not know much about it. After reading things in the chapter like the values of poetry, what defines poetry, the elements of poetry and the forms of poetry I became more informed. I have said it before that as a teacher you need to understand things before you teach them. You can get your students to understand if you as a teacher don’t. They thing that I did not realize was how many different forms of poetry there are. There is lyric, narrative, ballads, limericks, concrete and haiku. This just astounds me that there are six different kinds of poetry, to me poetry was poetry and never knew the difference. Something else that I thought was beneficial was four guidelines to reading poetry to children that is listed on page 347.
Using poetry to supplement any lesson is somethig that would be new to me as well. I never would think about using it for anything else besides learning about poetry. I may have to start thinking more outside the box.
I agree with you how it was nice to see examples of poetry to go along with the what was talked about in the chapter. I also thought that the section about using poetry in the classroom would help me as well.
Growing up I absolutely loved poetry. I liked the rhyming, the flow, and the stories. The poet that I greatly remember from childhood is Shel Silverstein with the Light in the Attic and his other great books. Luckily, I had very good English teachers and the section on elements of poetry was a review for me. The part that I liked was when it spoke about the studies done on what types of poetry children like. Even though this was conducted back in the 1920's, I believe it's still the same today. Children love funny poems, rhythm and rhyme, and contemporary poems. The one part I didn't agree with was when it said enthusiasm for poetry declines as they advance in elementary. If the students were taught poetry enthusiastically, I don't believe they would lose interest. However, their taste may change.
I also liked the part Sarah C. said about incorporating poetry into other lessons in the classroom. I don't know if anyone has heard of Shirley English, but in middle school we used this text book which was full of different poems and rhythms to learn English. It was great, I think it takes a great deal of effor to get middle school students to join in, but once they do they remember what they recited.
This chapter was one of my favorites because I love to read and write poetry. I enjoyed reading about the values of poetry for children such as providing enjoyment, provides children with knowledge about concepts in the world around theme, and encourages children to appreciate language and to extend their vocabularies. I thikn theses are all things that children need to learn and master in grade school. Also, learning about the elements of poetry was very informative. I love poems that use repetition and rhyme. I didn't realize there were so many different forms of poetry. I think one of my favorites to write are haikus. From this chapter, I got many great ideas of books of where to find poems and I saw many enjoyable poems in the book. I think if the teacher makes poetry fun and entertaining the students will learn to appreciate it. If the teacher makes it boring, the children will think poetry is worthless and a waste of their time.
Also, I love Shel Silverstein's poems. They can be used as a great learning tool but also bring entertainment and humor into the classroom. I agree with you that if the teacher is using poetry correctly and having fun with it, kids will always appreciate it. That is one of the main reasons why I love it so much, my teachers made poetry fun but also educational. I think it is something you either love or dislike from the comments from other classmates and students I have worked with in the past.
Poetry Chapter 8 I never really understood poetry to much until I read this chapter. Yes I liked the way it sounds but until I read this chapter it made me learn to appreciate it a little better. I would always go back and reread what I had read to make sure I would get an understanding. This chapter really teachers in more ways than one. It has a way of teaching ryhme, colors science, and just being able to remember in song. Basically what comes next. That's a way our children learn today. I think appreciating poetry one has to have the knowledge, language concepts, and empathy with characters and situations and insight about oneself and others. Self expression, and enjoyment are values of poetry for children.
Laura I agree with you. I didn't care that much about poetry either. I never understood just sang along in song with the other kids on the block outside playing. After reading this chapter it made me learn to appreciate poetry a little more now than I used to.
Luke in reading chapter 8 on poetry it also made me want to learn more about poetry as well. I really didn't care one way of the other about poetry. This chapter has changed my point of view. Yes you are right we as teacher must learn the material before we are able to teach it.
I really enjoyed reading this chapter because it helped me better understand poetry. I enjoyed poetry when I was younger. But as I went through junior high and high school, it seemed poems were not really incorporated into the lesson. I didn't really understand poems that well and this chapter broke them down. I also really liked the section on elements of poetry. I think this is what makes poetry so interesting and different from books or stories. My favorite poems as a child were by Shel Silverstein. He was so creative and made poetry fun. It was interesting to read more about him and his poetry. This chapter was very informative and really helped me have a new appreciation for poetry.
Lisa W. I agree that what the teacher creates is what the children believe. I think it is up to us to make all kinds of literature fun and interesting. Poems can be incorporated into many different lessons.
Jolene L. I also used to have trouble getting the meaning of poems. Poems are hard to understand if you do not know the elements or how they are to be read. It seems so crazy that in one chapter of one book could give so much information on poems. I didn't get this much from junior high or high school. I think this should be the goal for all teachers.
Poetry I feel is something that is not used enough in the classroom at a early age. I found the secetion on the Elements of Poetry very interesting. I like how it said the Poets use everyday language in different ways. This is a very important thing to keep in mind when begin to use poetry in the classroom. Many students see poetry has this hard thing to understand, but really it is just using our language in different ways. I also liked reading about the different forms of poetry. This is something that I dont oftend thing about.
Laura, I really enjoyed reading your post. I complete agree with you that they are many different ways to use poetry in the classroom, and we has teachers need to explore this. I also enjoyed the section on diffent forms of poetry. It reminds me that there are so many different ones to do something
Ch 8 Poetry Yes, This chapter did a blurb on my author! He is so cool. Even as a kid remember reading Shel Silverstein. My favorite one back then was "Sister For Sale" but I had brothers so I adapted the words. I have read Runnt Babbit. It gave my friend(a teacher) a headache. She also loves him but is dyslexic. I was amazed again by my child who would interpret what he was saying as I read it. I had no Idea that there are differnt forms and types of poetry. I am learning.!
re: Lisa W. That is very true a lot rides on how the teacher brings poetry to the classroom. Here attitude determines the attitude set around and about it.
Poetry is something I enjoy reading. Poems have repetation and rhytm, both of which children like to read. By using your imagination, children can make the poem come to life. I agree with the book that more children like limericks. If you make poetry fun, the children will enjoy it. I liked the section on "various forms of poetry" and how it showed different shaped poetry books. When doing a lesson on poetry, children will enjoy it more if they could make a book with their poems in it to read over and over. Some of my favorite poems are Shel Silverstein-where the sidewalk ends and of course Dr. Seuss's-the cat in the hat.
CarolynS, I agree that they don't use poetry in school like they use to. I think children will like it if you make it fun and excited, not just due it because you have to.
Response to Jody B: It seems I took a lot of the same things away from this chapter as you did. For example, I never thought about the fact that lullabies that I sing my daughter every night were actually considered poems. Also, I loved your daughter's poem.
I have always loved poetry. In fact I used poetry to basically get through my teenage years. From personal experience, I feel poetry is a very useful tool to encourage children to express themselves. Poetry can be very emotional and sometimes writing is the only way children can express themselves. I remember as a child I did not enjoy writing poems like haikus or any other form of confining poetry genre. Instead, I preferred to let my feelings come out naturally with or without rhyme. Sometimes I feel confining children with rules or poetic guidelines can limit their subject matter and emotional expression. However, I feel it is still important for them to learn these literary rules, of course. This chapter helped me see the poetry in places I hadn’t thought to look before, even in the lullabies I sing my daughter at night.
Krista C-- It is wonderful that you found something at a young age that could help you express your thoughts and feelings, and this will make you a better teacher as you are able to encourage your students to do the same. I always attempted poetry, but found myself too impatient to just sit and find my next thought!
I was not a big fan of poetry until I got a little older I really enjoyed reading this chapter it gave me so much information about poetry and it helps me understand it even better!
re:Lacy I agree with Lacy about the rhyming and rhythm and flow my nieces love it and so did I it is fun to watch them try and read poetry but you read it once to them and they can memorize it.
laura, I agree that poetry is not used enough in school or at home. Many adults don't enjoy poetry and I think it is mainly because they weren't exposed to it as children. When most of us think of children and poetry we think of the traditional Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes.
With each chapter I learn more about childrens literature. In this chapter we learned how poetry allows children to play with words and expand their vocabulary. I enjoyed the connection that was made between poetry and music and other forms of art. In the text it said that poetry, like art and music, is to be savored. I agree with that perspective. Poetry should be read and reread, enjoyed and experienced. The chapter also explains that children's limited range of enjoyment is often due to their limited exposure. Most parents read and recite Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes or sing lullabies to their young children, but once they are not babies any longer they are not read poetry. I enjoyed reading about the meaning behind rhythm and rhyme as well. The use of these elements are intended to encourage children to become involved with the verse and capture their attention. Rhythm and rhyme are also ways to help children with language development and fluency. I really appreciated the tips given for using poetry with children and how to pick prose for different age levels and skill. Among those were start simple, pick material of interest. I thought the ideas by Jana Wright Prewitt were excellent in incorporating poetry into her lessons and even gave some examples. There were also some ideas for writing exercises on pgs. 352-354. With each chapter I become more excited about childrens literature.
Chapter 8: Poetry This was my favorite chapter so far. I enjoy reading and writing poems. I have written over ten poems and I hope to publish some one day. For me, poetry is very relaxing and allows me to be creative and innovative. I believe all teachers should use poetry in the classroom to promote an enhance learning. Poetry makes learning fun and children can learn much more easily because repetitions and rhymes are often used. I would certainly use poetry in classroom.
Re: Robin Great response! This chapter definitely informs us on the importance of using poetry in the classroom. I think it is an effective strategy to enhance student’s knowledge of vocabulary and rhymes. In addition, I think poetry could also motivate students to learn and to be more creative.
Re: Jessica I am glad this chapter helped you to understand poetry a little better. I believe it is very important for teachers to incorporate all types of literature in the classroom. This would provide the students with a well rounded knowledge base.
Chapter 8: Poetry As I think I have said many times, this was a long chapter, but like all the others, it was very interesting as well. I have never been one to really understand poetry. About the only poetry that I have understood or really enjoyed was that of Shel Silverstein. In fact, he is probably my favorite, however this chapter helped me to see me many styles of poetry as well as so much more about the subject. I really enjoyed reading about the elements of poetry. I have always been one to love when poems rhyme, and this about the only type of poetry I can even attempt to write. As well as the rhyming, I love repetition in poetry. I feel like repetition is key to keeping the younger readers’ or listeners’ attention to the poem. As a kindergarten para, I have read many books and poems to the children and know for a fact that the poetry with rhyme and repetition is the poetry they really enjoyed! As well enjoying the portion of the chapter about elements of poetry, I also really enjoyed the section about poetry. I thought the tips and instruction the book gave were very helpful. I especially liked the ideas for motivating students for poetry writing. The author gave really great ideas to encourage the students.
Re: Lacy E. I also mentioned Shel Silverstein. I think he is my favorite author, at least one that I remember many of the poems still. Some of my favorite poetry contained some form of repetition or ryhming for sure. Rhyming in poetry has always helped me to understand it better and enjoy it much more as well!
Aspen- I am right there with you in that I have always struggled with reading and writing poetry. This chapter was very helpful in giving ideas for implementing poetry into the classroom. There were many good ideas to inspire children to learn to write poetry. I think that poetry can be very overwhelming and I often feel like I'm not deep enough to understand it. I love the children's poetry, and hope to help students learn to love poetry also. -Laura
I have always loved poetry. My first experience with poetry was with Mother Goose. When I got a little older, I couldn’t get enough of Dr. Seuss books. I would ask my parents to read those books to me over and over. Sometime, they would try to skip a page, but I would stop them to let them know they skipped a page. We still laugh about that today. Later on as I got older, and I could read books by myself, I learned about Shel Silverstein. Some of the poems were a little weird and eerie, those were the ones I didn’t care much for. I think the think I liked most from all the poems I enjoyed was the repetitive verses and rhythmic patterns. After reading this chapter, it really validated the steps I went through with my maturing into new styles of poetry.
Aspen, I agree that kids love poems with rythem and repetition, older or younger, makes no difference. Shel was one of my first favorite authors of poetry. I've grown to enjoy Shakespeare. I can't help but feel that the exposure as a child to poetry and different lyric verses may have helped to understand his writing style. As a young reader, it is hard to understand. It gets easier with more exposure.
Chapter 8 I liked how this chapter explained poetry in great detail. I always thought poetry was simply a way to put your feelings down in a cleaver way and to express yourself in a different form of writing. I learned that poetry is too hard to define with one simple definition. I learned why children enjoy poetry and that as they get older their tastes and appreciation for poetry changes. I did not know the evaluation criteria for poetry (pg. 319) but now know that children will enjoy poetry that they can interpret, and feel in their own way. I knew that poetry has rhythm and sound patterns. However, I never thought about poetry having imagery. I always focused on the words and not what was being said. Pictures can be vividly painted with good poetry such as Mummy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast. I knew a little about lyric poetry but learned that some poetry we know came from folk songs of other cultures. I learned that you can listen, move, act out and really enjoy poetry in many different forms. I also liked all the ideas the book gave me about ways to use poetry in the classroom. More importantly, I know all the real words to Hush Little Baby so my son won’t have to listen to me make up my own words anymore.
I have to agree that most parents do stop teaching their children poetry when they are young. It is sad that I already have stopped. I think after reading this chapter (and learning the real words to Hush Little Baby) that I will begin to sing the Nursery Rhymes that I know again. This class is teaching me that my role as a parent and teacher is important and that I can't let the ball drop because life is hectic.
“IT SENDS A SHIVER THROUGH YOU. YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN IT, REALLY, IT’S A MYSTERY.” (p.12, unnumbered) by Emily Dickinson.
This is how I feel sometimes when I have to read poetry. I personally prefer the poetry that rhymes. With all the excellent examples presented in this chapter, I was introduced to new ways of viewing poetry. I understand that there is diversity in poetry and began to see how selecting poetry to introduce different units in Math or Science could be helpful.
My favorite writer who I considered a poet is Dr. Seuss. The pictures, creative characters and repeative words in a sing/song style were great to use. The chapter introduced me to new ideas and definitely opened my mind about reading and using more poetry in my teaching. I especially liked the introduction to Choral speaking because it can be used to teach reading skills as you introduce them to poetry.
Re; Erin, I too never paid too much attention to the rhyming of the words only what the words meant to the story. But like you it has giving me a new outlook on what we can obtain from this chapter about poetry in teaching.
Chapter 8: Poetry
ReplyDeleteI loved this chapter on poetry and wrote down about 50 books to check out at my local library! I believe that poetry is something that teachers don’t utilize enough with students. I hope to acquire a database of quality poetry that I can share with students each day. There are many activities that you can do with poetry to help students who are learning to read and write. It was important to read and understand that there is no set definition for poetry and, as with other forms of art, students need to be exposed to it a lot so that they can begin to form opinions about what they like and dislike. I appreciated the research shared about what types of poetry students prefer at different ages. There are many elements of poetry discussed in the book, which can help ensure that students are exposed to a wide variety of poetry showing examples of many different types of poems. I really liked the sections on the forms of poetry because I would like to utilize these as a way to study different poetry. I appreciated the examples of poems given for each different form. There were many great poets shared in this chapter and I think it would be neat to incorporate one or two of these in with the author studies that I plan to do with my students. The chapter shared lots of ideas for teaching with poetry and the ones I found most helpful were the ideas for writing poetry.
Poetry was never something I enjoyed. However this chapter gave me a new look at poetry. Back when I was in high school and my teacher would read poetry to us and then ask questions, I could never answer them because I usually didn’t understand the poem. This chapter does a really nice job of laying out the different elements to poetry. And now is something that I can understand. I really liked the poems that were in the text and would like to think that I can use these someday.
ReplyDeleteJolene
Laura,
ReplyDeleteI also took down names of books to follow up with. I agree with you that they section on forms of poetry was useful in better defining the different types of poetry.
Jolene
I was one of those people that doesn't really care for poetry. This chapter has really opened my eyes on what how important poetry can be. I also didn't realize how big of a field poetry could be. My grandma has little sayings for so many different instances in life. I now realize that they where short little poems created for children to help them remember different thing. I also didn't realize that there are so many different poems out there. I personally didn't think there was that much poetry that was for children. I personally have to admit I enjoy the poetry for the younger crowd. After reading this chapter I know understand that poetry is an important part of understanding our language and I need to become more aquainted with it.
ReplyDeleteChapter 8 Poetry
ReplyDeleteI've always enjoyed poetry but never thought about how much it is used everyday. Poetry can be used to help teach shapes, rhyming, science,color, and much more. As I was reading through this chapter I realized that poetry is used alot. Like when kids jump rope on the playground, the students say things like Cinderella dressed in yellow-went up stairs to kiss a fellow-made a mistake and kissed a snake--how many kisses did it take--one--two. I never thought about that being a form of poetry until I read this chapter. Children really like poem because they are catchy and rhymes, which makes them easier to rememeber.It even talked about on page 348 how poems can be used to help students who cannot read. The reason behind this is that poems are easy to memorizes and therefore the student become more familar with words and start to read. My daughter just wrote a poem for earth day. A Plant by the Road-There once was a plant by the road--Who had know were to go--He lost his green leaves--And now he believes--He'll live by a stream with a toad! It didn't win but I thought it was cute and showed potential. In conclusion I learned from chapter 8 that poetry is used alot more than I had realized and children really learn from it and love it.
Jolene,
ReplyDeleteI remember in high school doing poetry and never quite understanding what the poem was about. But after reading this chapter I'm thinking I might get a little more out of the poems and understand them more. I never really liked poetry either, but think now that poetry is kind of cool and interesting. I prefer youth poems to adult poems though they are funny and easier to understand.
Tamika M.
ReplyDeletePoetry was not one of my favorite areas of reading. I didn’t like it in school but now as an adult I think I have grown into liking it. I have gone to some of the poetry nights that we have here in the local areas. Poetry is a way for you to express I feel that the earlier we introduce our kids to this type of literature the better it is for their understanding. Young children need to start hearing poetry as early as pr-k. I feel that it will help to expend their reading and enjoyment of choosing different types of books. As teacher we need to make sure that the parents understand that their children need to read these types of books to be a successful student in the years to come in their schooling.
Tamika M.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jody
I was just like you in school, I too didn't understand what poetry was all about. I know now what the purpose of it is all about now. I will be looking for a lot of the poetry books that the chapter talked about. I would like to add these books to my collection as well as read them with my kids.
I very much enjoyed this chapter on poetry because, unlike the other chapters that quickly cover parts of books, this one was able to give entire poems within the text, helping each type of poetry to become more clear.
ReplyDeleteI look at poetry differently after reading this chapter since I never knew all the types of poetry. It always seemed to me that, for older students and adults, poetry was artistic, somber, maybe even boring. However, it is clear now that humorous poetry is not just for younger children, it is for everyone.
I especially like the many suggestions on how to use poetry in the class; how it can help development of language and abstract ideas; what types of poetry encourage further activities in the classroom.
And last, as always, I enjoyed the suggestions at the end of the chapter on activities to do with a classroom of students: individual writing exercises, reciting poetry as a class, making books out of their poetry, and so on. It gave me so many ideas on things not only to do for my students, but also with my son.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I also enjoy poetry for children better than "older age" poetry. In high school, we had to dissect every stanza, every line, every word to find hidden meaning. I'll admit that I was ok at that, but it made it so tedious and boring. Getting back to the fun, humorous, and imagery-filled poems of earlier childhood is great fun.
Sarah
Laura A,
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the different forms of poetry listed. Along with the idea of making a book of poetry for each student, it seems like it would be fun to encourage their writing of each form of poetry for that book.
Sarah
I was suprised to see the This Land Is Your Land book featured on p. 325. I did a two week unit on communities from our new third grade social studies book. This book was suggested as a supplement. I had the students learn This Land Is your Land and sing it at the first of each lesson. They loved it and would remind me if I forgot. It helped to break down the resistance some students have to doing work. Several places in the chapter there were suggestions on how to use poetry in any subject. I use books from our library to add to lessons, but I had never thought of using poetry in a science lesson, for example. What a wonderful way to present facts or hook students into a topic. I can see how students gifted in writing would enjoy writing a poem that includes new facts to share with their classmates. I am so impressed that this text includes so many teaching ideas to make our teaching more interesting to our students. MCollins
ReplyDeleteMeredithC
ReplyDeleteJolene & Laura:
I've started taking my text with me when I sub at the elementary (most days). When I need a supplement or hook to a lesson, I check my book to see if it has any suggestions. If the book I want is checked out, sometimes that author has something else wonderful. Recently in Kindergarten the spring book I wanted wasn't in, but there was a Henry and Mudge book that was just perfect for the end of the day.
Chapter 8
ReplyDeleteThere were so many things in chapter 8 that I thought were informative. Poetry has never something that I was into or like very much, so I did not know much about it. After reading things in the chapter like the values of poetry, what defines poetry, the elements of poetry and the forms of poetry I became more informed. I have said it before that as a teacher you need to understand things before you teach them. You can get your students to understand if you as a teacher don’t. They thing that I did not realize was how many different forms of poetry there are. There is lyric, narrative, ballads, limericks, concrete and haiku. This just astounds me that there are six different kinds of poetry, to me poetry was poetry and never knew the difference. Something else that I thought was beneficial was four guidelines to reading poetry to children that is listed on page 347.
Re: Meredith
ReplyDeleteUsing poetry to supplement any lesson is somethig that would be new to me as well. I never would think about using it for anything else besides learning about poetry. I may have to start thinking more outside the box.
Re: Sarah C.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you how it was nice to see examples of poetry to go along with the what was talked about in the chapter. I also thought that the section about using poetry in the classroom would help me as well.
Growing up I absolutely loved poetry. I liked the rhyming, the flow, and the stories. The poet that I greatly remember from childhood is Shel Silverstein with the Light in the Attic and his other great books. Luckily, I had very good English teachers and the section on elements of poetry was a review for me. The part that I liked was when it spoke about the studies done on what types of poetry children like. Even though this was conducted back in the 1920's, I believe it's still the same today. Children love funny poems, rhythm and rhyme, and contemporary poems. The one part I didn't agree with was when it said enthusiasm for poetry declines as they advance in elementary. If the students were taught poetry enthusiastically, I don't believe they would lose interest. However, their taste may change.
ReplyDeleteSarah C and Luke S,
ReplyDeleteI also liked the part Sarah C. said about incorporating poetry into other lessons in the classroom. I don't know if anyone has heard of Shirley English, but in middle school we used this text book which was full of different poems and rhythms to learn English. It was great, I think it takes a great deal of effor to get middle school students to join in, but once they do they remember what they recited.
This chapter was one of my favorites because I love to read and write poetry. I enjoyed reading about the values of poetry for children such as providing enjoyment, provides children with knowledge about concepts in the world around theme, and encourages children to appreciate language and to extend their vocabularies. I thikn theses are all things that children need to learn and master in grade school. Also, learning about the elements of poetry was very informative. I love poems that use repetition and rhyme. I didn't realize there were so many different forms of poetry. I think one of my favorites to write are haikus. From this chapter, I got many great ideas of books of where to find poems and I saw many enjoyable poems in the book. I think if the teacher makes poetry fun and entertaining the students will learn to appreciate it. If the teacher makes it boring, the children will think poetry is worthless and a waste of their time.
ReplyDeleteRe LacyE.,
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love Shel Silverstein's poems. They can be used as a great learning tool but also bring entertainment and humor into the classroom. I agree with you that if the teacher is using poetry correctly and having fun with it, kids will always appreciate it. That is one of the main reasons why I love it so much, my teachers made poetry fun but also educational. I think it is something you either love or dislike from the comments from other classmates and students I have worked with in the past.
Poetry Chapter 8
ReplyDeleteI never really understood poetry to much until I read this chapter. Yes I liked the way it sounds but until I read this chapter it made me learn to appreciate it a little better. I would always go back and reread what I had read to make sure I would get an understanding. This chapter really teachers in more ways than one. It has a way of teaching ryhme, colors science, and just being able to remember in song. Basically what comes next. That's a way our children learn today. I think appreciating poetry one has to have the knowledge, language concepts, and empathy with characters and situations and insight about oneself and others. Self expression, and enjoyment are values of poetry for children.
Laura I agree with you. I didn't care that much about poetry either. I never understood just sang along in song with the other kids on the block outside playing. After reading this chapter it made me learn to appreciate poetry a little more now than I used to.
ReplyDeleteLuke in reading chapter 8 on poetry it also made me want to learn more about poetry as well. I really didn't care one way of the other about poetry. This chapter has changed my point of view. Yes you are right we as teacher must learn the material before we are able to teach it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this chapter because it helped me better understand poetry. I enjoyed poetry when I was younger. But as I went through junior high and high school, it seemed poems were not really incorporated into the lesson. I didn't really understand poems that well and this chapter broke them down. I also really liked the section on elements of poetry. I think this is what makes poetry so interesting and different from books or stories. My favorite poems as a child were by Shel Silverstein. He was so creative and made poetry fun. It was interesting to read more about him and his poetry. This chapter was very informative and really helped me have a new appreciation for poetry.
ReplyDeleteLisa W.
ReplyDeleteI agree that what the teacher creates is what the children believe. I think it is up to us to make all kinds of literature fun and interesting. Poems can be incorporated into many different lessons.
Jolene L.
ReplyDeleteI also used to have trouble getting the meaning of poems. Poems are hard to understand if you do not know the elements or how they are to be read. It seems so crazy that in one chapter of one book could give so much information on poems. I didn't get this much from junior high or high school. I think this should be the goal for all teachers.
Poetry I feel is something that is not used enough in the classroom at a early age. I found the secetion on the Elements of Poetry very interesting. I like how it said the Poets use everyday language in different ways. This is a very important thing to keep in mind when begin to use poetry in the classroom. Many students see poetry has this hard thing to understand, but really it is just using our language in different ways. I also liked reading about the different forms of poetry. This is something that I dont oftend thing about.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I complete agree with you that they are many different ways to use poetry in the classroom, and we has teachers need to explore this. I also enjoyed the section on diffent forms of poetry. It reminds me that there are so many different ones to do something
Ch 8 Poetry
ReplyDeleteYes, This chapter did a blurb on my author! He is so cool. Even as a kid remember reading Shel Silverstein. My favorite one back then was "Sister For Sale" but I had brothers so I adapted the words. I have read Runnt Babbit. It gave my friend(a teacher) a headache. She also loves him but is dyslexic. I was amazed again by my child who would interpret what he was saying as I read it. I had no Idea that there are differnt forms and types of poetry. I am learning.!
re: Lisa W. That is very true a lot rides on how the teacher brings poetry to the classroom. Here attitude determines the attitude set around and about it.
ReplyDeleteChapter 8
ReplyDeletePoetry is something I enjoy reading. Poems have repetation and rhytm, both of which children like to read. By using your imagination, children can make the poem come to life. I agree with the book that more children like limericks. If you make poetry fun, the children will enjoy it. I liked the section on "various forms of poetry" and how it showed different shaped poetry books. When doing a lesson on poetry, children will enjoy it more if they could make a book with their poems in it to read over and over. Some of my favorite poems are Shel Silverstein-where the sidewalk ends and of course Dr. Seuss's-the cat in the hat.
CarolynS, I agree that they don't use poetry in school like they use to. I think children will like it if you make it fun and excited, not just due it because you have to.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Jody B:
ReplyDeleteIt seems I took a lot of the same things away from this chapter as you did. For example, I never thought about the fact that lullabies that I sing my daughter every night were actually considered poems. Also, I loved your daughter's poem.
I have always loved poetry. In fact I used poetry to basically get through my teenage years. From personal experience, I feel poetry is a very useful tool to encourage children to express themselves. Poetry can be very emotional and sometimes writing is the only way children can express themselves. I remember as a child I did not enjoy writing poems like haikus or any other form of confining poetry genre. Instead, I preferred to let my feelings come out naturally with or without rhyme. Sometimes I feel confining children with rules or poetic guidelines can limit their subject matter and emotional expression. However, I feel it is still important for them to learn these literary rules, of course. This chapter helped me see the poetry in places I hadn’t thought to look before, even in the lullabies I sing my daughter at night.
ReplyDeleteKrista C--
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful that you found something at a young age that could help you express your thoughts and feelings, and this will make you a better teacher as you are able to encourage your students to do the same. I always attempted poetry, but found myself too impatient to just sit and find my next thought!
I was not a big fan of poetry until I got a little older I really enjoyed reading this chapter it gave me so much information about poetry and it helps me understand it even better!
ReplyDeletere:Lacy
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lacy about the rhyming and rhythm and flow my nieces love it and so did I it is fun to watch them try and read poetry but you read it once to them and they can memorize it.
laura,
ReplyDeleteI agree that poetry is not used enough in school or at home. Many adults don't enjoy poetry and I think it is mainly because they weren't exposed to it as children. When most of us think of children and poetry we think of the traditional Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes.
With each chapter I learn more about childrens literature. In this chapter we learned how poetry allows children to play with words and expand their vocabulary. I enjoyed the connection that was made between poetry and music and other forms of art. In the text it said that poetry, like art and music, is to be savored. I agree with that perspective. Poetry should be read and reread, enjoyed and experienced.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter also explains that children's limited range of enjoyment is often due to their limited exposure. Most parents read and recite Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes or sing lullabies to their young children, but once they are not babies any longer they are not read poetry.
I enjoyed reading about the meaning behind rhythm and rhyme as well. The use of these elements are intended to encourage children to become involved with the verse and capture their attention. Rhythm and rhyme are also ways to help children with language development and fluency.
I really appreciated the tips given for using poetry with children and how to pick prose for different age levels and skill. Among those were start simple, pick material of interest. I thought the ideas by Jana Wright Prewitt were excellent in incorporating poetry into her lessons and even gave some examples. There were also some ideas for writing exercises on pgs. 352-354.
With each chapter I become more excited about childrens literature.
Chapter 8: Poetry
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite chapter so far. I enjoy reading and writing poems. I have written over ten poems and I hope to publish some one day. For me, poetry is very relaxing and allows me to be creative and innovative. I believe all teachers should use poetry in the classroom to promote an enhance learning. Poetry makes learning fun and children can learn much more easily because repetitions and rhymes are often used. I would certainly use poetry in classroom.
Re: Robin
ReplyDeleteGreat response! This chapter definitely informs us on the importance of using poetry in the classroom. I think it is an effective strategy to enhance student’s knowledge of vocabulary and rhymes. In addition, I think poetry could also motivate students to learn and to be more creative.
Re: Jessica
ReplyDeleteI am glad this chapter helped you to understand poetry a little better. I believe it is very important for teachers to incorporate all types of literature in the classroom. This would provide the students with a well rounded knowledge base.
Chapter 8: Poetry
ReplyDeleteAs I think I have said many times, this was a long chapter, but like all the others, it was very interesting as well. I have never been one to really understand poetry. About the only poetry that I have understood or really enjoyed was that of Shel Silverstein. In fact, he is probably my favorite, however this chapter helped me to see me many styles of poetry as well as so much more about the subject.
I really enjoyed reading about the elements of poetry. I have always been one to love when poems rhyme, and this about the only type of poetry I can even attempt to write. As well as the rhyming, I love repetition in poetry. I feel like repetition is key to keeping the younger readers’ or listeners’ attention to the poem. As a kindergarten para, I have read many books and poems to the children and know for a fact that the poetry with rhyme and repetition is the poetry they really enjoyed!
As well enjoying the portion of the chapter about elements of poetry, I also really enjoyed the section about poetry. I thought the tips and instruction the book gave were very helpful. I especially liked the ideas for motivating students for poetry writing. The author gave really great ideas to encourage the students.
Re: Lacy E.
ReplyDeleteI also mentioned Shel Silverstein. I think he is my favorite author, at least one that I remember many of the poems still. Some of my favorite poetry contained some form of repetition or ryhming for sure. Rhyming in poetry has always helped me to understand it better and enjoy it much more as well!
Aspen-
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you in that I have always struggled with reading and writing poetry. This chapter was very helpful in giving ideas for implementing poetry into the classroom. There were many good ideas to inspire children to learn to write poetry. I think that poetry can be very overwhelming and I often feel like I'm not deep enough to understand it. I love the children's poetry, and hope to help students learn to love poetry also.
-Laura
I have always loved poetry. My first experience with poetry was with Mother Goose. When I got a little older, I couldn’t get enough of Dr. Seuss books. I would ask my parents to read those books to me over and over. Sometime, they would try to skip a page, but I would stop them to let them know they skipped a page. We still laugh about that today. Later on as I got older, and I could read books by myself, I learned about Shel Silverstein. Some of the poems were a little weird and eerie, those were the ones I didn’t care much for. I think the think I liked most from all the poems I enjoyed was the repetitive verses and rhythmic patterns. After reading this chapter, it really validated the steps I went through with my maturing into new styles of poetry.
ReplyDeleteAspen, I agree that kids love poems with rythem and repetition, older or younger, makes no difference. Shel was one of my first favorite authors of poetry. I've grown to enjoy Shakespeare. I can't help but feel that the exposure as a child to poetry and different lyric verses may have helped to understand his writing style. As a young reader, it is hard to understand. It gets easier with more exposure.
ReplyDeleteTrial.
ReplyDeleteChapter 8
ReplyDeleteI liked how this chapter explained poetry in great detail. I always thought poetry was simply a way to put your feelings down in a cleaver way and to express yourself in a different form of writing. I learned that poetry is too hard to define with one simple definition. I learned why children enjoy poetry and that as they get older their tastes and appreciation for poetry changes. I did not know the evaluation criteria for poetry (pg. 319) but now know that children will enjoy poetry that they can interpret, and feel in their own way. I knew that poetry has rhythm and sound patterns. However, I never thought about poetry having imagery. I always focused on the words and not what was being said. Pictures can be vividly painted with good poetry such as Mummy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast. I knew a little about lyric poetry but learned that some poetry we know came from folk songs of other cultures. I learned that you can listen, move, act out and really enjoy poetry in many different forms. I also liked all the ideas the book gave me about ways to use poetry in the classroom.
More importantly, I know all the real words to Hush Little Baby so my son won’t have to listen to me make up my own words anymore.
Re: Robin,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that most parents do stop teaching their children poetry when they are young. It is sad that I already have stopped. I think after reading this chapter (and learning the real words to Hush Little Baby) that I will begin to sing the Nursery Rhymes that I know again. This class is teaching me that my role as a parent and teacher is important and that I can't let the ball drop because life is hectic.
CHAPTER 8
ReplyDeletePOETRY
“IT SENDS A SHIVER THROUGH YOU. YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN IT, REALLY, IT’S A MYSTERY.” (p.12, unnumbered) by Emily Dickinson.
This is how I feel sometimes when I have to read poetry. I personally prefer the poetry that rhymes. With all the excellent examples presented in this chapter, I was introduced to new ways of viewing poetry. I understand that there is diversity in poetry and began to see how selecting poetry to introduce different units in Math or Science could be helpful.
My favorite writer who I considered a poet is Dr. Seuss. The pictures, creative characters and repeative words in a sing/song style were great to use. The chapter introduced me to new ideas and definitely opened my mind about reading and using more poetry in my teaching. I especially liked the introduction to Choral speaking because it can be used to teach reading skills as you introduce them to poetry.
Re; Erin,
ReplyDeleteI too never paid too much attention to the rhyming of the words only what the words meant to the story. But like you it has giving me a new outlook on what we can obtain from this chapter about poetry in teaching.
This chapter does a really nice job of laying out the different elements to poetry that Jolene states. Poetry can be very romatic.
ReplyDelete