Getting personal with poetry

Teaching Pre K-8, Apr 2003 by Moore, Dorothy K

You'll enjoy this new way of teaching kids poetry and - far more important - so will the kids

I'll never forget the day I misread my students' attentive gaze. I'd been elaborating on a poem about the beauty of morning. The room was quiet; the children's eyes were fixed on me. As a first-year teacher, I was in my glory. My classroom was under control and I was extolling the joys of rhythm and rhyme.

Suddenly, Dawn raised her hand and asked a question that would forever change the way I teach poetry. "Why do you keep saying my name?" she asked, visibly embarrassed by her classmates' laughter. As soon as she learned that the subject of the poem was synonymous with her name, Dawn joined the class in laughing at the unintentional humor.

Sober thinking. But while Dawn's question gave us all something to smile about, it also left me thinking about my teaching. I had to conclude that...

1) even though Dawn had been looking at me during my monologue, she was unable to make sense of it;

2) for all the insights I was sharing with my students, none of them seemed impressed with what I was saying;

3) just because I knew a synonym for morning didn't mean my fifth graders possessed the same vocabulary.

It was just one of many humbling moments in my teaching career; one that led me to develop a more effective method for presenting lessons on poetry.

Nowadays, I present poems in a way that generates personal perceptions and deeper appreciation from every child. One method I've found is particularly effective with children for whom English is their second language.

Getting started. I begin by gathering the students around me on the floor. I give a copy of the poem to each child. That way, they can all follow along as I read.

I read the poem aloud without comments or questions. After I've finished reading, I ask the students to share with their neighbors any images the poem may have conjured up for them.

The students then discuss these images in small groups. They reread favorite lines, stanzas that confused them, seek clarification from each other and exchange thoughts, ideas or memories triggered by the poem. By sharing with their peers what the poem means to them personally, the students employ several strategies of good readers:

1) They construct meaning from the text by connecting it to their own background knowledge.

2) They visualize what they are reading.

3) They relate the text of the poem to their own lives.

4) They learn the meaning of new vocabulary words within the context of real literature and authentic conversation.

And, of course, every child becomes an active participant in the learning process, sharing with one another thoughts, questions and personal perceptions that relate to the poem.

After the students have discussed their insights with each other, and after they've helped each other understand perplexing passages, they illustrate a chosen aspect of the poem.

Personal experience. During this time, the students are free to discuss with one another any thoughts and questions they may have. I might offer explanations of "difficult" words at this time, but for the most part, I allow the students to share their own interpretations of key passages based on their personal experiences and prior knowledge.

I'm always amazed at how one poem can elicit such different interpretations from different students. Time and time again, I'm reminded that reading is truly a personal construction of meaning. In fact, this is why I always include art in the study of poetry When children are allowed to represent visually what they've just heard and read, they internalize the concepts and vocabulary on a deeper level.

Helpful strategy. This is an especially helpful strategy for youngsters who are not yet able to articulate fluently in English. Whether used in conjunction with learning English as a second language or simply developing fluency, illustrating poetry while discussing its meaning enhances every child's vocabulary.

Once the children have finished their illustrations, I have them describe in writing what the illustrations are about. This again provides the students with an opportunity to work with language in a meaningful way. Vocabulary is reinforced, the elements of writing are employed and the writing process is utilized as each child proofreads his or her work for clarity and mechanical correctness.

By the time the children have finished hearing, reading, discussing, illustrating and writing about a poem, they have further developed their vocabulary and deepened their comprehension of the written word. But most importantly, the students have actively participated in constructing their understanding and appreciation of poetry.

No more glassy-eyed stares from students and no more teacher-centered monologues in my classroom. Children who talk about poems are children who internalize the pulse of the rhythm and the beauty of our written and spoken language.

DOROTHY K. MOORE

Dorothy Moore is an elementary school teacher currently on leave of absence while working on her doctoral degree in education at the University of Nevada in Reno.