4 Ways to Get Physical With Poetry
Winning children over to poetry in class or learning at home
Why connect with poetry? Who needs it?
The first time I taught a poetry unit, it was to a grade four class. When I mentioned the P-word, there were audible groans around the room. And I know the teacher was relieved when I, as student teacher, took over the subject. I almost heard the internal groan she uttered. But I love poetry; I love what it does to us and for us. By the end of the week, the learners had had so much fun that they wanted to go on… How did we get there?
Rhythm, language, emotions
Poetry inadvertently teaches rhythm, and if you want to play music or dance, you need rhythm.
Poetry illustrates what you can do with language, and we need language to communicate. Someday, you might want to write a love letter! Or you might want to create a ditty for a baby to cheer on a rainy dull day.
Poetry provides words and a way to articulate emotions.
Sometimes — often — poetry makes you laugh. Language can be zingy fun!
Poetry — with its few words and lots of white space on the page — is not as threatening or daunting as the large blocks of text found in prose. It…
