"Poetry Is like Directions for Your Imagination!"
Author(s): Christine Duthie and Ellie Kubie Zimet
Reviewed work(s):
Source: The Reading Teacher, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Sep., 1992), pp. 14-24
Published by: International Reading Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20201006 .
Accessed: 17/01/2012 10:48
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
International Reading Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The
Reading Teacher.
http://www.jstor.org
Christine Duthie
Ellie Kubie Zimet
is
"Poetry
for
your
like
directions
imagination!"
teachers are aware
Whole language
of the importance
of immersing
Duthie
and Zimet both teach first
grade at Trumansburg Central
School,
Trumansburg,
New
children in literacy. They invite
to experience
students
the joys, challenges,
and rewards of being readers and writers. As
are some per
Goodman
(1991) notes, There
sistent
whole
themes
language
running
These
include re
through the documentation.
York.
Their collaborative
efforts are
directed toward creating an
environment and program that is
respectful,
enjoyable,
challenging
for the child's efforts,
the provision
for
of experience,
the use of authentic
diversity
the potential
of collaborative
experiences,
...
access
to
and use of all the
work,
[and]
of
written
and oral language" (p. 281).
genres
spect
and
to every child.
of the major
is
genres of language
is
often
in
classroom
poetry. Poetry
neglected
(Denman,
1988). We
literacy
experiences
have discovered,
that
it
is a genre
however,
to primary children,
that is not only accessible
but can be the genre that excites children and
One
a
Adam,
often
bright-eyed,
boy,
first-grade
lacked motivation
during reading and writing
in poetry allowed
Immersion
this
workshop.
child to blossom.
One February morning,
in
of our poetry
the midst
Adam
unit,
said,
"When I grow up, I'm going to be a poet! I like
poetry better than anything else!" The purpose
of this article is to share with other classroom
teachers a poetry unit we have developed
and
motivates
them
to read and write.
active
used with many
see several
We
Adam each time
our experience,
First graders
14
enjoying
The Reading
the shared experience
Tfeacher
Vol. 46, No.
classes.
different first-grade
children
who
remind us of
we teach the unit. It has been
that poetry
touches
however,
all children
in a meaningful
Some
of
way.
their comments
lead us to this conclusion.
of reading poetry.
1
September
1992
International
Association7055-3340/92/US$l.25+ .00
Reading
3
"Poets work hard; they don't just stick words to
gether."
"I know what
of times."
that poet means.
I feel
that way
is hard
to read
so I read
it over
and
I write
it."
"Poetry makes me smile when
are bouncy
even if it doesn't
"The words
rhyme."
"I like to do lining on my poems; I can make the
lining like the poem. In one of my poems, Imade
the words
'sun came
Background,
participants
our umbrella'
'dropped
drop
up' go up. It is fun to do!"
setting,
down
reads poetry aloud
to several first graders.
lots
"I like reading poetry because poetry sounds good
in your mouth."
uSome poetry
over."
Chris Duthie
and
and
The poetry unit we wish to present in this
at an elementary
article was developed
school
in central New York State. The local commu
of predominantly
white fam
nity is comprised
socioeconomic
ilies of diverse
levels. The
school is within commuting
distance of a ma
and surrounded by small, fam
jor university
run
farms.
Our
classes consisted
ily
first-grade
of 24 children of varied abilities. As two first
in the same building,
with a
grade teachers
we
similar interest in whole
decided
language,
a poetry unit.
to collaborate
by constructing
how the poetry unit works
To understand
one must see that it is part of a larger instruc
our case, the reading/writ
tional context?in
A
ing workshop.
typical day in our reading
workshop (Hansen, 1987) and writing work
shop begins with our first graders writing in
as soon as they arrive.
The
their journals
teacher gives a written response to each child's
entry. The child reads his or her entry and
teacher's response. For example, when Jimmy
wrote: "My toth fl ot lat nit" (My tooth fell out
last night),
the teacher wrote back: "Did you
under your pillow
last night?"
tooth
put your
and rein
convention
This exercise
models
are
The journals
forces reading vocabulary.
also often referred to as a source of writing
an opportunity
for the
topics and provide
"Poetry
is like directions
for your
imagination!"
15
text read aloud,
teacher to greet and relate to each child at the
start of the day.
are complete,
When
the class
journals
news is
for
time.
calendar
Classroom
gathers
to
further
model
recorded, giving
opportunity
and discuss conventions
such as punctuation,
phonics,
and
spelling.
Class
members
1986). Writing
as the reading
ing connection
often models
then
time reflects
the same format
with
the
time,
reading and writ
As
emphasized
throughout.
read a Big Book together. In the context of the
one first grader put it, "I think thatwriting is
Book, word attack skills such as using
cues, contextual
cues, picture cues,
phonetic
and syntactic cues are taught.
a trade book is read aloud to the
Next,
like reading but you are the writer making
the
our poetry unit, children are
reading." During
to write poetry during the writing
encouraged
workshop (Heard, 1989).
students by the teacher. The book
to illustrate some literary element
believe
Big
the poetry unit we
Before we introduce
our students should have read and re
from the beginning
sponded to poetry. Thus,
is selected
char
(i.e.,
ti
development,
descriptive
language,
book
the
tles,
format, genre). During
poetry
unit, poetry is read at this time. After the read
are asked to re
the children
aloud session
acter
of the school
daily
ways
sponses
often
address
the
literary
routine
the year,
year and throughout
in our first-grade
classrooms
the
al
includes
poetry.
Immediately
following
the class sits in a circle on
writing workshop,
the floor to read a poem together. The daily
selected by the teacher, vary in style,
poems,
form, and content. Each child receives a copy
spond to the selection (Kelly, 1990). The re
elements
highlighted by the teacher.
Early in the school year a great deal of at
tention is given to the process of self selection
their interests and the readability of the text
of the day's poem to take home. One copy is
in a loose leaf notebook,
placed
creating our
own classroom
This anthology
is a
anthology.
source
stu
of
for
material
the
reading
popular
& Burke,
(Harste, Woodward,
1984). The
a
has
classroom
selection
of
library
large
material
from
first
reading
varying
preprimer
in all genres.
A
levels
through
third-grade
dents. Since the teacher selects poems based
on the needs
and interests
of students,
the
is
different
each
classroom
year.
anthology
this approach we have found that our
Using
child once described this selection process by
first graders
for individual reading (Zarrillo, 1989). Chil
dren
are taught
to choose
books
to read
based
upon
teacher
presented
they comfortably
your language program.
The Reading
Tbacher
Vol. 46, No.
responds
1
in February,
cold Monday
the chil
their classrooms
and found an
unusual bulletin board, a table filled with po
and two enthusiastic
teach
etry anthologies,
ers. We collected
each child's writing
folder
and gave each of them a new folder, just for
One
dren
entered
poetry. The project was underway.
The poetry bulletin board was
of
to the
September
and adapt them so that
the constructs
of
Preparing for the poetry unit
1991; Rhodes & Nathenson
The group
in this article
fit within
time closes with
1992). The reading
Mejia,
two children each reading a selection of his or
to the class. During
her choice
the poetry
to select a poem
unit, children are encouraged
to read to the class.
to over
Poetry is part of our language culture. As
we developed
this poetry unit, we maintained
our regular classroom
and instruc
routines
tional strategies. We found that our routines
and strategies are equally appropriate
for po
or
to
We
invite
take
the
ideas
prose.
you
etry
the
these conferences,
reading. During
record of each
adds to her anecdotal
child (Pils,
read and responded
unit.
lect at least one poem to read during this time.
con
The
teacher
circulates,
individually
with
content,
children,
discussing
ferencing
and read
word attack skills,
interpretation,
to address these is
ability. It is an opportunity
sues one-on-one,
of the
within
the context
child's
have
100 poems before we even begin the poetry
is like going
then you can
commenting,
"Learning
up steps. You read a hard book,
read a harder one."
The children
spend the next 30 minutes
or in pairs (Strickland,
individually
reading
&
Pelovitz,
Morrow,
1991). They are free to
share things that they have discovered
and en
in
their
with
each
other.
joyed
reading
During
to se
the poetry unit, children are encouraged
16
and the teacher
responses that reflect higher level thinking
(Kelly, 1990).
Writing workshop follows (Calkins,
One
1992
three
irregularly
shaped pieces
labeled
shape was
"feelings,"
composed
of paper.
another,
"things around us," and the third, "images." We
"shapes of paper" as the workshop
List of suggested
in the
envisioned placing students' poems
Arnold Adoff
Dorothy Aldis
Lena Anderson
Frank Asch
Margaret Wise Brown
Marchette Chut?
Lucille Clifton
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
Eleanor Farjeon
Rachel Field
Aileen Fisher
Eloise Greenfield
Mary Ann Hoberman
Lee Bennett Hopkins
progressed.
The children referred to the bulletin board
to or writing
po
regularly when
responding
us
around
and
etry. Images,
things
feelings,
were now configured
and
into understandable
served
workable
These categories
categories.
as reference points for all of our varied poetry.
We did not, however,
the discrep
anticipate
arose
in regard
that
the
children
ancy
among
to the categories.
Any poem could be inter
as
a
for some
poem about "feelings"
preted
for
and
around
children,
others,
us,"
"things
a
ani
for
The
few students.
class had
"images"
a particular
mated
discussions
about where
Langston Hughes
Leland Jacobs
Karla Kuskin
Nancy Larrick
Dennis Lee
Myra Cohn Livingston
David McCord
Eve Merriam
Lillian Moore
Jack Prelutsky
Joanne Ryder
Shel Silverstein
poem belonged on the bulletin board. The
children taughtus thatpoems belong in differ
ent places
for different people.
on tables
Poetry books were positioned
located at the front of the classroom,
adjacent
to the classroom
(See List of Sug
library.
gested Poetry Anthologies.)
They were orga
nized
into
thematic
a
by
single poet,
anthologies,
anthologies
and books with a single
general anthologies,
and illustrated
these cate
poem. We defined
four
categories:
Marilyn Singer
Valerie Worth
Charlotte Zolotow
gories for the children. They delighted in the
realization
that the categories
easier to find a specific book.
Daily minilessons
would
make
it
about poetry:
the poetry
unit we used
repetition is immediately accessible to all first
graders,
regardless of ability level. For exam
ple, Corey, an outgoing
7-year-old
receiving
remedial
services
in reading
and writing,
wrote the following poem:
An overview
Throughout
Buzz Cut
read
Buzz
ing and writing minilessons to introduce chil
Even thoughwe had read over 100 poems
prior to the poetry unit, many of them without
rhyme, the issue of rhyme had never been ad
dressed
1 our minilesson
formally. On Day
was simply to recognize
that all poetry does
considered
because
this an important
we wanted
to make
sure that the children would be free to write
their
own
poetry
without
the constraint
of
cuts,
I love buzz
I'm getting
On Day 2 our reading and writing mini
addressed
repetition.
Repetition
was
something the children could immediately ap
preciate
cuts.
a buzz
cut
in the spring!
(Corey, 1992)
Sarah,
a dramatic
and independent
6-year-old,
wrote the following (see Figure 1 for Sarah's
original writing sample):
Gimme
Gimme!
a pencil
Gimme!
a cookie
Gimme!
licorice
Gimme!
recess
rhyme.
lessons
cuts,
Buzz
sure
dren to some aspect of poetry. We made
that each child had a copy of the poems to re
fer to during the minilesson
and to take home
afterwards.
not rhyme. We
first minilesson
poets for primary children
in their reading
of poetry
and then ap
Gimme!
shorts
Gimme!
broccoli
Gimme!
EVERYTHING!
ply in their writing of poetry. We found that
(Sarah, 1990)
"Poetry
is like directions
for your
imagination!"
17
Sarah's
writing
in response
to a minilesson
G('n?eJ
18
The Reading
Teacher
Vol. 46, No.
1
September
1992
on
repetition
in poetry
We
found
that
the decision
of what
to
teach in the daily reading and writing miniles
sons could not be made more
than a day or
two in advance. We found ourselves
assessing
one day and using that infor
what happened
to develop a plan for what to teach the
mation
next day. In the planning process, we kept ask
"What did we see today? What
ing ourselves,
ready
year we
revise
by Bobbi Katz. This poem, configured into a
is about comparing
food and
shape,
events to springtime.
The children
everyday
were anxious
to respond.
Some of them had
the following
reactions to the poem:
zig-zag
are they
do the children need next? What
for?" Each
lesson focuses on shape poems.
following
seated comfort
First, with all of the children
ably on the rug, the teacher read "Spring Is"
The
our
"I think it's funny how it says how the sneakers run
the stairs fast."
are really
"My new sneakers
list of
down
minilesson topics (see Table 1) and the poems
that we use for the minilessons
(see Table 2).
Our decisions
about what to teach and how are
based on the interests and needs of our indi
vidual students.
Most
with
the
minilessons
conclude
an
to
teacher extending
invitation
the children.
This invitation might be as follows: "Maybe
in your writing
you'll want to use alliteration
today. You might also want to look over some
that you've already written
and see if
poems
as a revision"
to add alliteration
you want
about alliteration).
(based on a minilesson
Over and over, we see a direct correlation
be
tween the minilesson
and
the
children's
topic
(See Table 3 for samples of students'
writing.
poetry that reflects minilesson
topics.)
A sample minilesson: Shape poems
We thought itmight be useful to share one
specific
minilesson
with
the readers
of RT.
fast!"
"I don't think eggs look like daffodils."
"Iwould have said eggs look like yellow clay."
Next
the teacher
read "Little Bird" by
is short and
Zolotow.
This poem
block shaped; it focuses on someone holding
an injured bird. Responses
from students in
Charlotte
cluded the following:
"That's sad."
"One time, I found a hurt bird.
..."
"Birds really do have soft feathers."
gathered again on the
rug for the writing minilesson,
they sat in a
a
was
circle. Each child
copy of "Spring
given
When
the children
Is" and "LittleBird," which they placed on the
rug in front of them.With the children point
ing to each word and reading along, we reread
"Spring Is." The teacher asked the children,
"Why do you
suppose
the poet put
the words
on the page like this?"Two children said, "So
itwould look like steps." "The poet wanted it
Table 1
Daily minilesson topics
Brainstorming for a topic
Rhyming vs. nonrhyming
What is a poetry anthology?
"
Three types of poetry: "things around us "images,"
Focusing on a single image
Repetition
Sound words
"feelings"
Lining
Saying common things in an uncommon way
Alliteration
Invented words
Shape of poetry (free form)
Stanzas
Couplets
Refrains
Choosing more interesting words
Titles
Indexes and tables of contents
Different kinds of poetry anthologies
Compiling a poetry anthology
Anthology titles
"Poetry
is like directions
for your
imagination!"
19
Table 2
of
minilesson
Examples
poetry
Images: "The Dark Gray Clouds" by Natalie Belting.
Belting, N. (1962). The sun is a golden earring. New York: Holt.
"When IMisbehave"
Feelings:
Greenfield, E. (1988). Nathaniel
by Eloise Greenfield.
talking. New York: Black Butterfly.
Things Around Us: "Lawnmower" by Valerie Worth.
Hopkins, L. (1987). Click, rumble roar. New York: Crowell.
Alliteration:
"Friendly Frederick Fiddlestone" by Arnold Lobel.
Lobel, A. (1985). Whiskers and rhymes. New York: Greenwillow.
Saying Common Things in Uncommon Ways: "Until ISaw the Sea" by Lillian Moore.
Prelutsky, J. (1983). Random House book of poetry. New York: Random House.
Lining: "An Itch" by Larry Kirkman.
Hopkins, L. (1970). Me! New York: Seabury.
Shape of Poetry: "Spring Is" by Bobbi Katz.
Prelutsky, J. (1983). The Random House book of poetry. New York: Random House.
Sound Words: "Ice" by Dorothy Aldis.
Aldis, D. (1962). The secret place. New York: Scholastic.
"Time" by Mary Ann Hoberman.
Repetition:
Jacobs, L. (1964). Delight in number. New York: Holt, Rinehart &Winston.
Focusing on a Single Image: "Horse" by Valerie Worth.
Worth, V. (1972). Small poems. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Invented Words: "Happy Mooday" by Eve Merriam.
Carle, E. (1989). Animals, animals. New York: Philomel.
Getting Around
like stuff moving." Next, we read to
"Little
Bird" in a similar fashion. The
gether
teacher asked, "How does this poem look on
to look
p
Airplanes
u
go
the page?" Several children commented,
"This
is a short poem." "It's little, like a little bird."
"It's all one sentence."
Cars
stay d
o
w
n
The
teacher held up paper shadows of the
poem shapes, made by tracing the outline of
the poems. The teacher asked, "Which shadow
Jets p
Subways
on
shape alone. These shadows were mounted
the wall for the remainder of the poetry unit.
d
go
Teacher
Vol. 46, No.
1
r
r g
(Megan, 1990)
In addition
to the daily
minilesson
we
provided students with opportunities to illus
on
and listen to poetry selections
a
tape. Each day one child selected
to illustrate. Dur
poem that he or she wished
ing the day we printed the poem on chart pa
name
included.
The
the selector's
per with
next day the child illustrated the poem,
shared
trate poetry
audio
6-year-old,
September
u
o
e
categories of poetry. They knew that poets pur
the shapes
regarding
posely make decisions
of their poems. We observed
these same deci
as they wrote
sions being made by children
their own poetry. In point of fact, after this les
The Reading
n
n
as they began to
shapes of their own poems
write. Children related to the shadows as possi
to create poetry, rather than
bilities for ways
a bright, motivated
son Megan,
wrote the following poem:
d
u
The children were invited to think about the
20
u
goes with 'Spring Is'?Which shadow goes with
'Little Bird'?" The children delighted in the
shadows and easily identified the poems by
1992
itwith the class, and hung it on thewall in the
hall. High interestflowed from this activity as
and "passers-by"
class members
asked indi
vidual children about the selection
and illus
tration of the poetry.
and
Sample questions
comments
included, "Why did you choose that
"That re
poem?" "I like your illustrations."
minds me of my cat. She sleeps near the stove
too." "Look, here's another poem about a cat!"
The second addition
to the minilessons
was a book/tape
center
that focused
listening
on poetry. We did not have access to appropri
so we decided
to make
ate poetry book/tapes
our own audio tapes with
the help of parent
volunteers.
reading time the children
During
could sign up to tape a poem that they had
practiced
and felt comfortable
reading.
A par
ent took the child into the hall and taped the
poem.
The
parent
then
typed
the poem,
in
cluding the name of the poet and the child
reading the poem. After four poems were re
a book/audio
corded and typed, we assembled
Table 3
Student poetry reflecting minilesson
topics
Alliteration
Invented words
Dinosaurs
by Nora
Strawberries
by Kyle
Strawberries
Strawberries
I love strawberries
They are like heavenberries
Dirty
Dinosaurs
are Definitely
D
i
r
t
y
Sound words
Simile
Castles
Boom
by Carrie
byGreg
Flags wave.
Torches make streams of fire.
The ropes of the drawbridge wave
Long halls like traffic jams.
Boom! Crash!
Bang! Boom!
Crash! Bang!
Boom! Help! Help!
Help! Boom!
Crash! Bang!
Boom! Help! Help!
in the wind.
Stanzas
Lining
Fossil
by Kaitlin
Ice Skating
by Emma
that laid on a rock with mud
and left a print
When Igo ice skating,
Imake a heart
With the sparkling sliver of my ice
Shell
And when my sister comes out,
She makes her name
And messes
up my ice heart.
"Poetry
is like directions
for your
imagination!"
21
List of suggested
poetry anthologies
Adoff, A. (1979). Eats poems. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.
Asch, F. (1978). City sandwich. New York: Greenwillow.
Asch, R (1979). Country pie. New York: Greenwillow.
Bennett, J. (1980). Roger was a razor fish. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.
Bennett, J. (1981). Days are where we live and other poems. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.
Bennett, J. (1989). Spooky poems. Boston: Little, Brown.
Booth, D. (1989). 'Tilall the stars have fallen. London: Penguin.
Booth, D. (1990). Voices on the wind. New York: Morrow.
Carle, E. (1989). Animals, animals. New York: Philomel.
Chute, M. (1957). Around and about. New York: Dalton.
Clifton, L. (1974). Everett Anderson's year. New York: Holt, Rinehart &Winston.
Cole, J. (1984). A new treasury of children's poetry. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
Daniel, M. (1989). A child's treasury of animal verse. New York: Dial.
dePaola, T. (1988). Book of poems. London: Methuen.
de Regniers, B.S. (1985). This big cat. New York: Crown.
de Regniers, B.S. (1988). Sing a song of popcorn. New York: Scholastic.
de Regniers, B.S. (1988). The way I feel...sometimes.
New York: Clarion.
Farber, N. (1987). These small stones. New York: Harper & Row.
Frank, J. (1990). Snow toward evening. New York: Dial.
Fisher, A. (1960). Going barefoot. New York: Crowell.
Fisher, A. (1971). Feathered ones and furry. New York: Crowell.
Fisher, A. (1986). When it comes to bugs. New York: Harper & Row.
Greenfield, E. (1988). Nathaniel talking. New York: Black Butterfly.
Greenfield, E. (1988). Under the Sunday tree. New York: Harper & Row.
Goldstein, B. (1989). Bear inmind. New York: Penguin.
Hoberman, M. (1991). Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers. Boston: Little, Brown.
Hopkins, L. (1970). Me! New York: Seabury.
Hopkins, L. (1983). The sky is full of song. New York: Harper & Row.
Hopkins, L. (1984). Surprises. New York: Harper & Row.
Hopkins, L. (1986). Best friends. New York: Harper & Row.
Hopkins, L. (1987). Click, rumble roar. New York: Crowell.
Hopkins, L. (1987). Poems about machines. New York: Crowell.
Hopkins, L. (1988). Side by side poems to read together. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Hopkins, L. (1989). More surprises. New York: Harper & Row.
Hopkins, L. (1989). Stillas a star. Boston: Little, Brown.
Hopkins, L. (1990). Good books, good timesl New York: Harper & Row.
IL:Garrard.
Jacobs, L. (1971). AH about me. Champaign,
IL:Garrard.
Jacobs, L. (1971). Playtime in the city. Champaign,
IL:Garrard.
Jacobs, L. (1970). Poetry for summer. Champaign,
Jacobs, L. (1964). Poetry for young scientists. New York: Holt, Rinehart &Winston.
Kuskin, K. (1958). In the middle of the trees. New York: Harper & Row.
Kuskin, K. (1975). Near the window tree. New York: Harper & Row.
Larrick, N. (1965). Piper, pipe that song again. New York: Random House.
Larrick, N. (1968). Piping down the valleys wild. New York: Dell.
Larrick, N. (1988). Cats are cats. New York: Philomel.
Larrick, N. (1991). To the moon and back. New York: Dell.
Livingston, M. (1985). Celebrations. New York: Scholastic.
Livingston, M. (1989). Dilly Dilly Piccalilli. New York: McElderry.
Lobel, A. (1985). Whiskers and rhymes. New York: Greenwillow.
Margolis, R. (1984). Secrets of a small brother. New York: Macmillan.
McCord, D. (1969). Everytime I climb a tree. Boston: Little, Brown.
McCord, D. (1986). All small. Boston: Little, Brown.
Moore, L. (1966). / feel the same way. New York: McClelland & Stewart.
Moore, L. (1973). Sam's place. New York: McClelland & Stewart.
O'Neil, M. (1961). Hailstones and halibut bones. New York: Doubleday.
Prelutsky, J. (1983). Random House book of poetry. New York: Random House.
Prelutsky, J. (1984). The new kid on the block. New York: Greenwillow.
Prelutsky, J. (1986). Read-aloud rhymes. New York: Knopf.
Prelutsky, J. (1988). Tyrannosaurus was a beast. New York: Greenwillow.
Ryder, J. (1985). Inside turtle's shell & other poems of the field. New York: Macmillan.
Singer, M. (1989). Turtle in July. New York: Macmillan.
Silverstein, S. (1981). A light in the attic. New York: Harper.
(continued)
22
The Reading
Ibacher
Vol. 46, No.
1
September
1992
List of suggested
poetry anthologies
(cont'd)
Steele, M. (1987). Anna's garden songs. New York: Scholastic.
Steele, M. (1988). Anna's summer songs. New York: Scholastic.
Thurman, J. (1976). Flashlight. New York: Atheneum.
Wallace, D. (1976). Monster poems. New York: Holiday House.
Worth, V. (1972). Small poems. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Worth, V. (1976). More small poems. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Zolotow, C. (1967). All that sunlight. New York: Harper & Row.
Zolotow, C. (1978). River winding. New York: Crowell.
tape for our listening center. One
of 24 children, of varied abilities,
cord at least one poem. Further,
center was a popular place.
year, 16 out
chose to re
the listening
We
Selected anthology: An important
component of the poetry unit
Understanding
poetry
anthologies,
what
they are, how they differ, and their individual
that are crucial to being lit
parts are concepts
of the
erate in poetry.
In another component
we
to
learn
children
wanted
the
poetry unit,
is en
what an anthology
is and know what
we
one.
tailed
in compiling
Specifically,
to understand
that compiling
wanted children
a
an anthology
in itself. To
is creative process
we
about
achieve this goal
taught minilessons
different kinds of selected anthologies. (See
List of Suggested Poetry Anthologies.) We ad
the facts that anthologies
could be
some theme
about
poems
(e.g.,
could contain poems writ
cats), anthologies
ten by a single poet (e.g., Charlotte Zolotow),
in nature.
and anthologies
could be general
dressed
based
on
We decided that each child would compile his
or her
own selected
The
poetry
anthology.
idea that someone
took someone else's poems
and put them in his or her book was astonish
they had
(Previously,
ing for some children.
been told that you have to publish your own
for
of selecting
The concept
poems
words!)
as
to
poems for
writing
publication,
opposed
needed much attention. However,
publication,
as illus
students soon understood
the concept,
comment:
trated in the following
"When I
picked poems formy anthology, I tried to pick
the best ones
Next we
group time: "Look it [the poem] up in the in
dex." "This one [anthology]
tents and no index!"
that I read."
on types of
initiated minilessons
structure
and
of
the
the
anthology
anthologies
itself. The children quickly began to see order
to find this order.
in anthologies
and expected
Here are two of their comments
during small
encouraged
has a table of con
the children
to select
one
poem a day that theywanted to include in their
anthology. We copied these selected
for
the children,
and then they stapled
poems
the poems together to form individual anthol
The children's
in
ogies.
anthologies
ranged
size from 4 to 10 poems. One year, approxi
selected
mately half of the students compiled thematic
(such as poems about dinosaurs or
anthologies
about
The rest of the children
poems
people).
chose to include a wide variety of poems that
to them for one reason or another;
appealed
they did not require their selections to fit into
a predetermined
theme.
When
it came time to select titles for each
student's anthology, we referred students back
to a minilesson
in the poetry
unit,
early
wherein we gave titles of selected anthologies.
this lesson, we had analyzed many
ti
During
tles of published anthologies and discussed the
importance of the title and where the title
came
from.
upon
Drawing
in this early minilesson,
gleaned
information
approxi
mately one-third of the children used the title
of a poem they had selected for inclusion in
as the title of the anthology
their anthology
it
self (e.g.,
The Sitter by Shel Silverstein,
came up with thematic titles
1981), one-third
and the remaining
Outside
Poems),
(e.g.,
third settled on a general
title (e.g., Poems I
Like).
Anthology of original poems:
A culminating class project
the end of the poetry
unit, we
one
to
the children
select
of their origi
nal poems to include in our class anthology
of
conferred
poems. We
individually
original
with each child about his or her selection.
Toward
asked
"Poetry
is like directions
for your
imagination!"
23
Special attention was given to how the poem
on the page. The child's
would be presented
was
poem
typed by an adult, using conven
when
everyone worked with poetry, the group
to that genre
and level of attention
energy
of each child.
raised the performance
We shared a different poem each day for 6
tional
spelling. Since the teacher is part of the
both of us conferred with
community,
to
the class and submitted a poem. We decided
include a table of contents
and to divide
the
into the three categories
from our
anthology
writers'
bulletin
to the poetry unit. This consist
to the range of topics and form
to poetry
and the experience
of responding
were
a foundation
in establishing
invaluable
for the poetry unit. We did not initiate a new
ence, the child decided which category his or
modate
months
prior
ent exposure
board, "feelings," "things around us,"
and "images." At his or her individual confer
her poem
storming
would
be placed
titles and discussing
in. After
pros
brain
and cons,
the children voted and selected Lake of Poems
what was already
talize on familiar
allowing us to capi
routines and procedures.
our language
enriched
poetry
as the title of
In subsequent
their anthology.
have chosen A Treasure
the children
years,
for our
to accom
language program
the poetry unit. In fact, the reading
were kept intact. It was
and writing workshops
we
that
to fit into
allowed
imperative
poetry
format
in place,
In sum,
and enabled
the children and teach
program
ers to grow as readers and writers,
enjoying
each other along the way. As one 6-year-old
is like directions
told us, "Poetry
for your
Box Full of Poems, A Universe Full of Poems,
A Dream of Poems, and Dark and Full of Trea
sures as titles for their class anthologies.
We also created an author index for our
anthology.When the anthology of original po
ems was published the children immediately
imagination!"
as
the index to locate their own poems
as the poems of others.
It was not neces
sary to review the use of an index; need and
desire to read intervened for us.
used
well
References
Calkins,
mouth,
Den man,
for each class member
poems were produced
to take home. Additional
copies became a part
of the classroom
From
year to year we
library.
Goodman,
we planned for the poetry unit, we
to encourage
in
every child to work
our
in
poetry. Previously
program
language
the child chose his or her genre. In retrospect,
we now know
that we reaped great benefit
When
of the class was engaged
every member
in poetry at the same time. In a whole
lan
The Reading
Teacher
Vol. 46, No.
1
language
cata
When
writers
read.
Portsmouth,
NH:
Coopera
teachers.
J. (1989). Teachers'
of literature
Zarrillo,
interpretations
based
Teacher, 43, 22-28.
reading. The Reading
In C. Zolotow
C. (1970).
Little bird.
Zolotow,
(Ed.), River
in
by sharing,
found
that
September
it. The whole
The Reading
Teacher, 45, 502-509.
T. (1991).
D., Morrow, L, & Pelovitz,
Strickland,
for children
and
tive, collaborative
learning
The Reading
Teacher, 44, 600-602.
when
24
Isee
NH:
House.
to liter
response
young students'
Kelly, P. (1990). Guiding
ature. The Reading
Teacher, 43, 464-470.
in a
anofe
Pils, L. (1991). Soon
you tout me: Evaluation
first grade whole
classroom.
The Reading
language
Teacher, 45,46-50.
rec
S. (1992). Anecdotal
L, & Nathenson-Mejia,
Rhodes,
ords: A powerful
tool for ongoing
literacy assessment.
hesitated
We
As
own...
Katz, B. (1983). Spring is. InJ. Prelutsky (Ed.),Random
House book of poetry (p. 42). New York: Random
Conclusions
conferring.
Ports
writing.
J.C., Woodward,
V.A., & Burke, C.L. (1984). Lan
and literacy
stories
NH:
lessons.
Portsmouth,
guage
Heinemann.
of the earth and the sun.
Heard, G. (1989). For the good
NH: Heinemann.
Portsmouth,
is magical!
and
teaching
Harste,
popular poetry book in the class
Children
love to read poetry written by
room!
The content,
children.
style, and readability
are appealing.
a
poem written
Finding
by an
responding,
K. (1991).
J. (1987).
Hansen,
Heinemann.
be the most
constantly
art of
log (pp. 281-283). New York:Macmillan.
find the class anthology of original poems to
each member
guage classroom
teracts with
the other members
The
(1986).
NH: Heinemann.
G. (1988). When
it your
you've made
to young
Portsmouth,
teaching
poetry
people.
Heinemann.
Copies of the class anthology of original
acquaintance
L.
winding (p. 10). New York:Crowell.
1992