POETRY IN EDUCATION

Matthew Julian
LBS 355-02 Writing in Education
Poetry in Education
Paper #3
Draft #2
Page Numbers: 2
10/19/2016

Poetry in Education

POETRY IN EDUCATION

Poetry is an aesthetic, rhythmic, and symbolic form of literature where its words can
jump off the page and evoke emotions from the reader which were intended by its author.
However, teaching poetry in the classroom can seem to be a daunting task for some instructors.
Poetry can be abstract, ambiguous, and challenging for students at any grade level, but that does
not take away its ability to be presented in entertaining, multi-modal ways to enrich students
reading, writing, and social skills. This essay is an exploration of ways students can increase
fluency and literacy by learning poetry through multiple teaching vehicles which include
repeated reading, performance, and digital media.
One of the traditional methods of teaching fluency and literacy is the practice of repeated
reading. Faver (2008) believes that repeated reading is a useful strategy for teaching fluency if a
student continually struggles with decoding or routinely recognizing the words he or she is
reading. Poetry is appropriate for this technique because poems are typically short in length and
use playful language. The playful language exposes students to alliterations and various other
rhyme schemes that can be fun for them, as they improve upon their fluency and literacy. A
lesson that supports repeated reading is to have students work in pairs or small groups and read
preselected short passages or poems several times over in a short time span. Students could then
volunteer to read the poem aloud, or the short passage theyve been rehearsing. In this setting,
less fluent readers are usually paired up with more fluent readers, which can have positive effects
on both students fluency and literacy. The use of repeated reading of poetry is a beneficial
strategy for teachers to use in the classroom.
The use of performance to lift poetry off the page is another way to interest students and
increase their level of engagement, while developing their fluency and literacy. This teaching
technique allows students to claim ownership of a selected poem and create a unique

POETRY IN EDUCATION

representation of it. Poems can be performed by students in a number of ways, including

dramatic plays, puppet shows, and solo recitals. Students benefit from this activity because they
interact with the words of a selected poem in multiple ways by being the performer and by being
the audience. Sizmur (2007) believes that, by routinely giving students the opportunity to take
ownership a poem and explore different interpretations, literacy learning can be enhanced and an
interest in words and their interpretation can be developed naturally. A performance-based lesson
using poetry can be entertaining and educational for students, as it gives them a variety of ways
to interact with poetry while increasing literacy and fluency.
Fortunately, we live in a digital age that provides new and interesting platforms for poetry
to be presented in the classroom. Students can now go beyond the act of reciting a poem aloud
and use multimedia to interact with poetry visually and aurally. Hughes (2007) believes that the
use of digital media for reading, writing, and representing poetry can encourage students to
explore the relationship between text and image. A possible lesson to use in the classroom is to
have students create a poetry power point presentation, using pictures and sound bites to
illuminate the meaning of a selected poem. Students could then perform their interpretations of a
selected poem to the entire class. Through this lesson, students interact with poetry in multiple
ways, increase their fluency and literacy, and gain a deeper understating of its meaning. The
possibilities that accompany using technology in the classroom to support fluency and literacy
are only limited by the creativity and willingness of the instructor.
Teaching poetry in the classroom does not have to seem like a daunting task that
intimidates instructors and discourages students. There are a variety of effective teaching
techniques that interact with poetry in exciting and constructive ways. The arrival of new digital
media offers teachers creative avenues to expand the idea of poetry in the classroom. The use of

POETRY IN EDUCATION

performance to illustrate poetic works provides students with multiple opportunities to interact
with the words of a selected poem, benefiting their fluency and literacy. Poetry has several
benefits for developing students reading, writing, and communication skills and should be
incorporated into classrooms of all grade levels on a regular basis.

References

POETRY IN EDUCATION

Faver, S. (2008). Repeated reading of poetry can influence fluency. Reading Teacher, 62(4), 350352.
Hughes, J. (2007). Poetry: A powerful medium for literacy and technology development. The
Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 1-4.
Sizmur, J. (2007). Attitudes to reading survey- Rhyme or reason? Literacy Today, 57, 29-31.