Poetry in the classroom

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Developing Literacy Skills

The Works 8
MacMillan (ISBN 978-0-330-46407-9) £7.99

The Works 8 Entertaining as well as educational, this comprehensive anthology contains every shape, style and form of poem that you will need to teach poetry in the primary classroom. The sixty-four different types of poem are arranged alphabetically and the selection includes examples of less well-known forms such as clerihews, tanka and triolets along with popular forms such as acrostics, haiku, cinquains, kennings, epitaphs and raps.

Rhyming Dictionaries

Two rhyming dictionaries that will help children not only to find rhymes, but also with their spelling.

Oxford First Rhyming Dictionary
Oxford University Press (ISBN 978-0-19-911682-9)

OUP First Rhyming Dictionary 'John Foster's colourful and accessible First Rhyming Dictionary is a wonderful resource for young writers. Containing 1,200 rhyming words, it pays special attention to words that rhyme but are spelled differently. There are 60 original poems too, plus humorous artwork.' Junior Education.

Oxford Junior Rhyming Dictionary
Oxford University Press (ISBN 978-0-19-911683-6)

'The primary use of a rhyming dictionary is as an aid to writing rhyming poetry. This one scores over others of its genre by virtue of the fact that the author, John Foster, is a popular children's poet experienced in motivating children to write. A 13-page chapter called 'Wrote your own poetry' serves as an introduction to a range of simple poetic forms and rhyming patterns. It includes a wealth of infectious examples and starters that make the idea of writing poems seem not only inviting but positively easy.' Michael Kirby.

Developing Reading Skills

Glow-worms

The Glow-worms series is the poetry strand of the Oxford Reading Tree. The books feature poems by well-known contemporary children's poets on themes that have been specially chosen to match topics that are relevant to children aged 4-8.

The books:

are designed to be used to introduce poetry in the classroom
are linked to themes in the Oxford Reading Tree stories, so can be used in conjunction with them
use a core of high frequency words
develop phonological skills through rhyme, alliteration and spelling patterns
are illustrated in a wide range of styles to enhance children's enjoyment of poetry

Stages 1+-2 Titles (YR/P1)

Clothes Poems

Animal Poems
Out and About Poems
Clothes Poems
Family Poems
Party Poems
Weather Poems

Stages 3-4 Titles (Y1/P2)

Alphabet Poems
Colour Poems
Number Poems
Body Poems
Movement Poems
Sounds Poems

Stages 5-6 Titles (Y1/P2 and Y2/P3)

Pet Poems
Special Days Poems
Food Poems
Farm Poems
Seasons Poems
Shopping Poems

Stages 7-8 Titles (Y2/P3)

Water Poems
Minibeast Poems
Transport Poems
Senses Poems
Machine Poems
Music Poems

Stages 8-9 Titles (Y3/P4)

Egg Poems
Giant Poems
Fox Poems
Sea Poems
Wizard Poems
Space Poems

Stages 10-11 Titles (Y3/P4)

Monkey Poems
Castle Poems
Dragon Poems
Seed Poems
Snow Poems
Star Poems

Stage 11 Titles (Y3/P4)

Sports Poems
Ghost Poems
Mouse Poems
Pirate Poems
Monster Poems
Night Poems

Upcoming Events

Information on school visits, poetry events, workshops and competitions can be found in Latest News.

New Resources

John Foster’s recently published books include Cool Cars and Amazing Escapes in the Collins Big Cat series.

His latest book Learning About Language – Activities for the Primary Classroom provides a comprehensive coverage of everything that the primary school pupil needs to know about the English language. The book provides teachers of literacy with clear explanations of the terms that pupils need to know, arranged alphabetically for ease of reference, together with details of activities that can be used to develop pupil’s understanding of the English language.

A particular feature of the book is that it contains a number of poems, designed to present key information about features of language in a lively and original manner. The aim is to foster an interest in words and how they fit together, to provide ways of playing with words and to make exploring the English language fun.

Each section focuses on a different feature of the English language. The various sections

examine subjects such as spelling, punctuation and grammar
explore aspects of words such as their origin and meaning, their similarities and differences e.g. homonyms, anagrams and synonyms
explain particular uses of language for example, in the sections on clichés, idioms, metaphors and similes
show how language is used humorously in jokes, puns and riddles and by poets using wordplay in forms such as limericks. There are also sections on the humorous misuse of words – on malapropisms and spoonerisms
include numerous opportunities for students to consolidate their learning in a variety of activities, including word games.

The book, provides teachers of English, both specialists and non-specialists, with a lively bank of resources for learning about the English language.

Learning About Language is published by Routledge in June.

ISBN 978-0-415-53681-3 (pbk)
ISBN 978-0-203-11116-1 (ebk)

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