1st Edition
Poetry and the 3-11 Curriculum Enhancing the Learning Experience
Poetry can enable learners to engage, learn and have fun, whatever their cognitive, linguistic or social levels and this book provides a great many examples of how this might be achieved. This exciting and innovative text provides a wide range of ideas for using poetry to enhance the early years and primary curricula, and therefore the learning experience of all children. Each chapter contains ideas for pedagogy and practice, underpinned by research and classroom experience ensuring that practitioners will come away feeling much more confident to teach this genre and better enjoy poetry themselves.
Throughout, there are discussions around specific pedagogies and practices relating to the use of poetry across the curriculum, as well as resources – including a wide range of poems from diverse countries and cultures and poems in different languages – and activities which can immediately be used in the classroom. Ideas are provided in terms of how poems can be employed in different subject areas, to introduce or reinforce concepts, engage children in more challenging concepts, ensure that lessons are fun and engaging and develop children’s awareness of other people and places beyond their immediate experience.
This book is an extremely powerful combination of informed discussion – drawing on ideas from different theoretical perspectives including recent findings from neuroscience – and practical suggestions for every classroom. Armed with this text, practitioners will not only have a very strong idea of how to use poetry to enhance their curriculum but also why this is such a compelling genre.
Introduction 1. The Power of Poetry 2. Poetry to Develop Speaking and Listening Skills 3. Using Poetry to Develop Decoding and Comprehension Skills 4. Promoting an Enjoyment of Writing Through Poetry 5. The Power of Poetry to Promote a Multicultural, Multilingual Approach 6. Using Poems in Science and Maths 7. Poems for Times and Spaces 8. Poetry in the Digital Age 9. Getting Creative with Poetry 10. Poetry for Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing
Biography
Virginia Bower has been involved with different aspects of education all her life. Starting as a self-employed businesswoman, she moved into primary school teaching and leadership, before moving to higher education and teacher training. Her interests are in primary English, poetry and supporting children with English as an additional language.
"This text will make even the most reluctant 'poet' fall in love with poetry. Readers will be inspired by the "power of poetry to transform lives" and as a result will be motivated to explore teaching poetry not only in English lessons but across the curriculum, whilst enjoying doing so! This book will give you the confidence to be creative and likely create your own classroom poet's appreciation society!"
Catherine Carden, Staff Tutor, The Open University
"Bower writes with a gentle authority that nurtures confidence and inspiration in teachers who are keen to give poetry a place in the lives of their pupils. Bower’s mission in this exciting new book, is to reveal the truth, beauty and imagination that comes from poems. She does this well because of the combination of her own love of poetry and a thorough, practical knowledge of the realities of modern classroom life."
Andrew Lambirth, Professor of Education (Literacy), Faculty of Education and Health, University of Greenwich
