Rebeca Barba

LBS 355-04
Poetry in the Classroom
Paper#3
Draft #2
3 Pages
3/11/15

POETRY IN THE CLASSROOM

Poetry in the Classroom

Poetry is a method of teaching in the classroom that is often
overlooked. Experiencing poetry can positively impact students because it is
a form of literature that can be analyzed and interpreted in many different
ways. The problem is teachers commonly use only novels and short stories in
their lessons. Teachers rarely use poetry because they do not understand the
importance of this literary work and the students are not interested in it. In
this essay, I will discuss activities to help students understand poetry more,
the benefits of repeated reading using poetry, and using technology to help
students enjoy poetry.
In her article, Sizmur (2008) mentions ways that students can
understand poetry, including using different activities and allowing the
students to take charge of the activities. One activity that is discussed is
performing the poem. Sizmur (2008) notes that the students in a classroom
she visited all performed the same poem, yet all the performances were very
different. There was a variety of ways that students performed the poem,
such as puppet theater, TV news reports, and imaginative play. Performances
allow the students to acquire new skills, such as interpreting the verses and
depicting the emotions of the poem to the audience. These skills can be
carried on while reading other types of literature because students have to
identify and interpret theme and tone, among other literary devices. Also,
poetry can have a different meaning to each student, so having the students
take charge of these performances will allow for several perspectives of the

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poem. Instead of the teacher lecturing about the poem, the students will be
able to come up with their own interpretations, and they can teach one
another. This helps them enjoy the poetry more, because they will feel like
they have an understanding or connection to it, rather than hearing only one
persons view on it.
Furthermore, Faver (2008) describes the benefits of repeated reading
using poetry in her article. Faver mentions that repeated reading means
students read a passage every day for a few days in order to improve their
reading fluency. Repeated reading often works with poetry because it
contains language that a student would be interested in reading. Students
generally prefer to read a verse from a poem than a passage from a short
story, because poetry has a lively tone and rhythm. As a teacher, improving
a students fluency is important because it demonstrates that the student
can read quickly and accurately. There are many ways to improve fluency
levels, but repeated reading with poetry is helpful because it opens up a
form of literature that students rarely see anymore.
In addition to repeated reading, Hughes (2007) discusses using a
modern approach, technology, in order to get students interested in poetry.
There are many forms of media that are available today that students can
use in the classroom. Hughes (2007) mentions Moviemaker as a new type of
new media that provides an interactive approach to poetry. Moviemaker
gives the option to add images, music, and sound effects to represent a
poetry. Technology is improving at a fast rate, and it is getting easier to

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incorporate it in the classrooms. Students will need to know how to use

digital skills and be creative when they go into the workforce because
technology is increasingly being used. Teachers need to allow students to
express their creativity and having students interpret poetry through digital
media is a great way to accomplish this.
In conclusion, poetry in the classroom should be a significant part of
the curriculum. It needs to be focused on more because it can enhance
students creativity skills and helps them learn to interpret a different type of
literature. They have the opportunity to experience so much more through
the use of performances, repeated reading, and technology in poetry. It is
essential that teachers understand this in order to make a change in the way
poetry is taught in schools.
References
Faver, S. (2008). Repeated reading of poetry can influence fluency. Reading
Teacher, 62(4),
350-352.
Hughes, J. (2007). Poetry: A powerful medium for literacy and technology
development. The
Literary and Numeracy Secretariat. 27-29.
Sizmur, J. (2008). Attitudes to reading survey Rhyme or reason? Literacy
Today, 57,
29-31.