The Sound of Words: An Introduction to Poetry

Rationale

Kenneth Koch tells us, in his book, Wishes, Lies, and Dreams, published in 1970 that:

Children have a natural talent for writing poetry and anyone who teaches them should know that. Teaching is really not the right word for what takes place: it is more like permitting children to discover something they already have. I helped them do this by removing obstacles ... and encouraging them, in various ways to get tuned in to their own strong feelings, to their spontaneity, their sensitivity, and their carefree inventiveness. ³

What was true almost forty years ago is still true today. Children may have changed in some peripheral ways, but their essential core remains the same. They are still children with feelings - sometimes big feelings about big events in their young lives. They have minimal coping skills and often have no viable, valid outlet. I believe poetry can help in situations such as this. I believe, as Koch did, that children are natural poets, artists, and authors. When we break down the boundaries of correctness (as if there were such a thing in poetry for emergent readers), we provide for them, not only necessary literacy skills, but also a conduit to a safe release of sometimes silly, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, but always powerful, emotions. Powerful emotions can often be enough to hijack a classroom and disrupt learning for everyone. Even if there is no constructive way to express them available, those big feelings will come out - one way or another.⁴ Poetry has the ability to channel all that energy, and potential negativity, into a positive means of expression.

Whether we teach in the inner city of a major metropolitan area or in a remote mountain hollow in deepest Appalachia, a high percentage of our students live in poverty. Poverty not only robs students of the basic necessities in life; it can also rob them of a quality education and a better future. Often we make certain assumptions, based on our own experiences, about the children we teach. Sometimes, those assumptions are valid, particularly if we were raised in similar environment or circumstance, but sometimes we couldn't be more wrong. We take for granted that all babies are rocked and read to as infants and toddlers, but that is not always the case. Some children may be tabulae rasae⁵ in this regard. This may be particularly true in urban and culturally diverse communities where financial realities make books a scarce commodity. Books, after all, are wants and not needs. In these economically deprived areas, the basics of food, clothing, and shelter must take precedence in a family's budget. It is an unfortunate truth that our urban children have often not had the pleasurable experience of being read to and hearing nursery rhymes and poems. It would only make sense then, to begin at the beginning. No child should be deprived of that seemingly trivial, but really quite important, pleasure. Because it is not just a pleasure; it is a bridge, a connection, an avenue on which children can make their way from listening to reading to writing and creating.

It is a personal goal of mine to spend time each day reading poetry aloud to my students - even if it is just a short rhyme. The children receive these offerings enthusiastically and always want more. They will request favorite rhymes to be repeated over and over again. By the end of the year, some of my students can recite these poems on their own. I love to hear their intonations and inflections. Poetry has that unique capacity for individual interpretation. Each student brings their own background, circumstance, and distinctive way of making a poem new and fresh while making it their own.

From the very first lessons introducing nursery rhymes, I will make a concerted effort to facilitate the memorization of poems as well as reinforcing concepts of print by having my students copy some of their favorite poems and rhymes into composition books. There they can refer to them again and again. For some of my past students, these dog-eared, tattered composition books become treasured possessions.

The lessons of this unit will encourage creative endeavors which may include anything from writing or recording poems, to listening to poems, to recitation. Because there are few absolute rights and wrongs in creating poetry, this particular medium is tailor-made for children to experience success. Building self-esteem and providing an outlet for feelings are just a few of the collateral benefits that go hand-in-hand with the literacy skill building inherent in the activities.

Building self-esteem is important, particularly in neighborhoods with gang activity. Children and young people with poor self-esteem are fodder for predatory gangs trying to recruit new members. According to our city police department, gang members have stooped to a new low and have been known to recruit children in elementary schools. We, as teachers, need to strive to instill in our students a sense of pride and belief in a future. If we can do that, we can prepare our children to resist the malevolent advances of street gangs.