Poetry in the primary grades is relied on heavily to teach students the general rules and codes of reading. From early on in a child’s life, parents use poetry in the form of nursery rhymes to introduce their children to social surroundings (Cummings, 2007). Understanding one’s surroundings and developing a foundation of literacy is important. Thinking back to my earliest memories of elementary school, I am brought back to the days of kindergarten. Learning to read began with site words, extending into rhyming words, and then combined to create stories to build my fluency. Poetry was the foundation used to develop these basic reading skills. While this genre of literature was a resource used to establish my reading abilities, it rarely held more importance in my later reading experiences. Unfortunately, teachers lacked to see the gold mine that could be found inside of it. Teaching poetry to students helps them gain the analytical skills to approach reading in order to develop a perspective and opinion.
Essentially using poetry can assist students in breaking content apart to connect with and make meaning of it. However, it must be noted that interpreting the poem should not overpower the journey the poem takes its readers on. During an interview with Billy Collins, he eloquently states how important it is for students to understand how the poem moves in order to enlighten their perspective (B. Collins, personal communication, n.d). Poetry, like drama and other genres of literature, is used as a means of activating discussion in literature and “…encourages them to use their imaginations” (Vacca, Vacca, Mraz, 2011). Imagination is one way that can improve a student’s perspective. Encouraging students to integrate their understanding and perspective allows for deeper synthesis of information. It has been noted in Carol Clark’s “Why Teach Poetry?” that understanding the structure of a poem enhances comprehension (n.d.). In order to understand poetry, we must be able to analyze its parts to understand the whole, while at the same time integrating imagination and prior knowledge. Implementing this idea in comprehension of content area information can have a profound impact on how students interact with text in addition to the background knowledge they will bring to future lessons. It is through this understanding college students have noted the importance of poetry exposure as they pursue advance literature courses. (Clark, n.d.) By analyzing poetry, students are able to make meaning through aesthetic connections in order to conceptualize conflict situations, ideas, and emotions. While reading poetry can assist students in making deeper connections with text it can also impact how they understand themselves.
Research performed by Rachel Cumming on language play in the classroom suggests that children from an early age have knowledge of poetry, but lack in the metalanguge for demonstrating an understanding. The lack in development of this understanding can be detrimental in their ability to interact with various textual genres. Identifying a perspective is necessary in developing connections with a text. Using poetry to encourage students to identify a perspective in order to fully grasp an author’s message is vital. In her research, she quotes that, “a vague underlying optimism that poetry could fulfill all kinds of expectations, if only one could learn to understand it” (Cumming, 2007). To state that poetry could potentially be the key that unlocks a door to a strong metacognitive understanding for students provides a light at the end of a literacy tunnel. Therefore, it is important that a re-establishment in the role of poetry, aside from understanding the process and skills, is necessary for understanding.
Using poetry in the classroom to learn conflict solutions, ideas, and emotions is effective because it encourages communication in a socio constructivist way. By using poetry to develop social interactions, is “enable(ing) the teacher and learners to communicate and test the fit of their knowledge with others’ representations” (Cumming, 1997). Vygotsky proposed that development requires the teachings of other’s (Berger, 2008). Through this teaching and support, a person is able to bridge knowledge from one concept to the next in order to form an understanding of his or her life. Using poetry to support this idea is essential. Additionally, in understanding human development Vygotsky believed an internal process of one’s societal interactions helped form awareness of one’s self (Fox & Riconscente, 2008). Using poetry to engage students in conversation encourage students to self reflect and draw on prior knowledge while at the same time developing a perspective which essentially encourage self awareness. By using poetry to help students establish a perspective, the teacher is encouraging schematic building which in turn will assist in their ability to develop multiple perspectives. Moreover, using poetry in a social constructivist manner can powerful impact the interactions among students. The language used in poetry can often be confusing; therefore, it is critical scaffolds are in place and the instructor is fully present and open to the students’ understandings and misunderstandings. By using poetry to encourage communication, students learn how words can profoundly set someone free from the burdens of their world, thus students can conceptualize the effectiveness of poetry in describing one’s feelings and emotions. Jackson Spoon eloquently states, “I had mistakenly thought that poetry was beyond me, and only for women, squares, nerds, weirdos, professors, and high-brows: people caught up in some unreal academic world” (2007). It is not uncommon for my own students to experience feelings such as those shared by Jackson. At the start of each poetry unit, I find a majority of my students looking anguished. They quickly realize through the level of engagement, social interaction, and self expression they learn more and more about themselves and others than they had original thought possible. One student is quoted saying, “I never knew how powerful poetry could be. It is hard, but talking about it and inquiring meaning with my peers makes it fun.” This is a feeling shared by most students. However, teaching poetry can build relationships among students that promote trust and encourage a reflective quality within oneself and others.
Due to the complexity of reading and teaching poetry, in addition to the teachers need to make meaning of the poem, many teachers neglect to use poetry to help students connect to their text. Teaching poetry will allow students to delve deep within them to make an emotional connection with text. Through these emotional connections, they are able to develop a grounded meaning and perspective on the poem. Clark states that, “understanding poetry demands that one pay close attention to text, especially to dictation, grammar, syntax; this process naturally strengthens reading comprehension skills” (n.d.). While one’s reading comprehension is improving, he or she is able to extend beyond the printed text and acquire a perspective in order to produce a deeper meaning of the text. It must be understood, that poetry is not meant to be torn apart in which ‘finding’ the meaning over powers the journey for which the poem is meant to take its readers on. Finally, teaching poetry has the potential to increase a student’s self efficacy while motivating them to “engage them to read more deeply and with more personal meaning” This level of understanding will only enhance a student’s interaction with other forms of literature.
References
Berger, K.S. (2008). The developing person through the life span. New York, N.Y: Worth
Publishers.
Clark, C. (n.d.). Why teach poetry? Retreived from Clark, C. (n.d.). Why teach poetry? Retrieved from http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/downloads/articles/why_teach_poetry.pdf
Cumming, R. (2007). Language play in the classroom: Encouraging children’s intuitive creativity with words through poetry, 41(2), 93-101.
Fox, E. & Riconscente, E. (2008). Metacognition and self-regulation in James, Piaget, and Vygotsky. Educational Psychology Review, 20, 373-389. doi: 10.1007/s10648-008-9079-2
Jackson, S. (2007). Speaking in poems. Teaching Artist Journal, 5(1), 22-26
Stanley, N. (2004). Creating readers with poetry. Gainesville, FL: Maupin House Publishing.
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