Helping students develop as writers is extremely important in today's classroom.
What is even
more important is the development of poetry writing. Teaching poetry is a great creative tool to
give students an opportunity to celebrate the importance of language and develop their
descriptive language techniques as well as other literacy devices. It impacts the social learning
of young students and contributes to new ways of thinking. It also encourages students to
express themselves and how they are feeling. (Emile Blogs, 2022).
Poetry has the following benefits as outlined by Proud to be Primary (2022):
● It builds Reading, Speaking, & Listening Skills
● It provides teachers with a tool that can be used to teach many literacy skills.
● It teaches students how to put words together to form meaning and context.
● It encourages students to express themselves and their feelings.
● It encourages students to imagine new worlds and experiences.
When teaching poetry I use the following strategies as outlined by Renz (2022):
● Poetry is introduced by choosing poems that students are able to connect with. I also
ensure that they are motivated by the choice of poetry and their interest is piqued.
● Poems are read more than once so that students understand what is being communicated
and are able to notice important details that were missed. They are also encouraged to
listen for patterns and the general flow of the words.
● A poetry corner is created to display students' work.
● The poet is discussed before reading a poem. Many poets create poems based on their
feelings, family, important events in their lives, and their environment. It is good to
know the background of a poet in order to understand why a poem was written.
● Students need to know what information the poet is attempting to convey.
● Every day students are exposed to poems being read aloud. Students enjoy listening to
poetry and diverse writers therefore, they can listen to their peers reciting poetry., or
listen to a YouTube video.
● Students are taught metaphorical language so that they can comprehend the meaning of
the poetry.
● Students should be taught the meaning of figurative language such as metaphors, similes,
onomatopoeia, alliteration, idioms, etc. This will enable them to decipher the meaning of
certain poems and engage in more critical thinking.
● Students should be taught poetry in a fun way so when reading aloud, use the hilarious
voices and laugh out loud at the amusing parts.
● Children are provided with opportunities to create their own poems.
● They are given different genres, such as alliterations, haikus, etc. They should also
understand that not all poems rhyme. They should be provided with opportunities of
creating their own poetry on topics that they are interested in.
● Students are encouraged to share their poems. They are allowed to perform their own
poems after they have written them.
● Students are provided with feedback on their written pieces.
References
Emile Blogs, (2022). Teaching Poetry: Writing And Reading For Primary Schools.
https://www.emile-education.com/teaching-poetry-writing-and-reading/
Proud to be Primary, (2022). Why is Poetry Important? 5 Reasons to Teach Poetry in the
Classroom https://proudtobeprimary.com/reasons-teach-poetry-classroom/
Renz, H. (2022). 10 TIPS TO EFFECTIVELY TEACH POETRY https://mrsrenz.com/10-
poetry-tips/