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BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF POETRY

Beneficial Aspects of Poetry
Jennifer Mendoza
Paper #1 Draft #3
September 9, 2014
LBS 355 Writing in Education
California State University Dominguez Hills

BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF POETRY

Beneficial Aspects of Poetry
Poetry in Education
Although there are young people who dread poetry, this could be due to a lack of
exposure to enjoyable activities involving poems. At first glance, poems can be intimidating;
however, once they are explored in depth, the reader appreciates the message the writer is trying
to convey. By educators introducing children to poetry at a young age, through engaging
activities in the classroom, students will be provided with opportunities to enhance their
creativity, fluency, and technological development.
Firstly, when performing poetry, students are able to demonstrate their creative skills by
producing a dramatic performance that would show their interpretation of the text. According to
Sizmur (2008), students presented a total of thirteen various enactments that ranged from a
puppet show to astronauts reminiscing at a pub. Despite the fact that all students used the same
poem for inspiration, they were able to come up with distinct performances. This task presents
students with the opportunity to imagine different scenarios or contexts in which the text could
be applied. They spent time creating props and designing the backdrop that they decided would
best fit their scenario. While actively working with the text, this creative freedom motivates
students to express their artistic abilities and share it with others through performing.
Also, pair and choral reading are excellent ways that can support students overall
fluency. Sherri Faver (2008) claimed that poetry is a great source for teaching fluency since it
makes reading a gratifying experience due to its word choice. Though other texts are dull, poetry
can captivate a readers attention through the language and rhythm of the text. In choral reading
children learn how to pronounce words in a relaxed situation without feeling the pressure to
perform individually. This repetitive reading of poetry can help children get more comfortable
with challenging words and aid their fluency. Reading in pairs allows children who might not be

BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF POETRY

as fluent to hear how their partner reads the text. Poetry reading offers children a pleasant
experience while at the same time assists their fluency.
In addition, childrens technological development can be complemented when examining
the text with greater depth. Hughes (2007) noted that through the usage of new media, students
can gain an understanding of the relationship between text, images, and sound. By students
employing these technological skills, they can interact with the text with greater ease. Children
can use simple programs like Moviemaker to add music they believe augments the message or
ideas the author is attempting to transmit. Audio has the ability to invoke specific feelings and
sensations which sometimes language alone cannot do. Students can use audio, text, and images
that can expand their understanding of the poem. In this way, poetry provides an opportunity for
not only text to be explored but also implements beneficial technological skills.
Moreover, I would commence a poetry lesson with poetry tea time in which students
would sit at their assigned seat and we would do choir reading together. Afterwards, I would
divide the class into two teams in order to play a game of jeopardy. Each side would select a
leader who would choose a category and respond to the question after consulting with their
group members. Some questions would list possible answer choices but most would require
evidence from the poem to support the answers stated. Students would have to work together to
come up with a coherent answer. This activity would engross children due to its competitiveness.
Poetry can be thought as being an entertaining, distinct ride. The first time people get on
a ride, at a theme park, they do not notice every detail because of the brevity in which it all
happens. After boarding it multiple times, people are able to notice aspects that they had not seen
previously. When poetry is read the first time, many details are overlooked; however, after
rereading it, the reader notices distinct aspects that contribute to the meaning and interpretation
of the poem. Poetry is an adventure that takes the reader to places not journeyed to before.

BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF POETRY

References
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. (2008). Attitudes to reading-survey rhyme or reason. Literacy Today, 57, 29-31.