Gervase Phinn Teaching Poetry in the Primary School
When asked by the school inspector what he thought of
poetry, an eleven year old replied that 'it's all la-di-da
and daffodils, isn't it?' In his primary school the boy had
come across very little poetry apart from nursery rhymes,
snatches of rhyming verse and a few comic pieces and
nonsense poems. Poetry to him was something arcane, not
really related to his own life. He had studied no powerful,
challenging, contemplative, arresting, quirky poems and had
written very few poems himself. His teacher admitted that he
was no English specialist, had received few ideas at college
on the teaching of poetry and didn't really know where to
start. As children progress through the primary school they
need to be exposed to a rich diet of poetry and encouraged
to read, perform and write it themselves. Providing a varied
and stimulating environment is essential if is to flourish.
In addition, children need specific guidance and ideas to
start them off writing their own poems. This book, written
by a former teacher and school inspector, and popular and
widely published children's poet, offers an accessible,
practical and structured programme for the teaching of this
sometimes neglected aspect of the English curriculum.
# Paperback: 158 pages
# Publisher: Crown House Publishing (30 Jan 2009)
# Language English
# ISBN-10: 1845901304
# ISBN-13: 978-1845901301
Rating: ***** This book is a must for every primary
teacher, being the most comprehensive book on the teaching
of poetry I’ve come across. Easy to use and attractively
produced in a thick A4 format, it is worth every penny of
its price, £19.99.
Phinn, a seasoned teacher, advisor, inspector of English and
poet, covers a comprehensive range of different styles and
themes in a useful framework. There are helpful
introductions to each genre and how to teach it, samples of
poems giving teachers a ready-made bank of material, and
very extensive book lists.
He covers poetic genres such as miniature poems, patterned
poems, limericks, clerihews (that was new to me), alphabet
poems, acrostic poems, concrete poems, riddles, cautionary
verse, conversation poems, poems from other cultures, poems
from experience environmental poems, poems from poems, poems
from paintings, myths and legends in poetry and poems of
praise.
There are helpful sections on teaching infant and junior
poetry, learning poetry and having poets in school. This
book makes me want to go back into the classroom and get
into poetry with the children. I enjoyed reading the poems
myself – no dull analysis here.
By reading, following Phinn’s advice, the fear of teaching
poetry will fly out of the window and restore poetry to its
rightful place in the English curriculum, aiding topic work,
helping develop spirituality through poetry and helping
children produce their own praise and prayer poems for
assemblies it is invaluable.
An excellent book, go and buy it!
Reviewer: Moira Kleissner, School
Librarian and Teacher, Hillside County Primary School,
Ipswich, Suffolk
Review posted on: 21 April 2010 |
