Welcome to Poetryland: Teaching Poetry Writing to Young Children

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Description

Welcome to Poetryland: Teaching Poetry Writing to Young Children draws from Shelley Savrens forty years of teaching poetry writing in grades pre-K6 and to focus populations, including gifted and special education students, students in after school programs and at art museums, and homeless, abused, or neglected students. Each chapter begins with a student quote and an original poem, followed by heartfelt stories of working with that particular group, and concludes with lesson plans, complete with introductions of poetic concepts, model poems by professionals, open-ended writing assignments, methods for sharing and critiquing, and one or two student poems. Designed for use in a classroom, this book features thirty-eight lesson plans and twenty-three additional poetry-writing workshop ideas. It provides guidance and inspiration for anyone who wants to teach poetry writing to children. I wish Shelley would teach the whole world poetry. 1st grade student. I want to be a poetry writer when I grow up. 2nd grade student. What I found out about myself was that I have an imagination. And a good one. 6th grade student.

Reviews

From Lorca to Gary Soto, Amy Uyematsu, Kenneth Patchen and Yusef Komunyakaa and many moreand most of all, the students of all grades; we see the teaching of poetry blossom before us. Savren encourages teachers, respects them and guides them with the excitement of a poet and daring educator who has journeyed well the poetry and teaching road. Magnificent, practical, magical. -- Juan Felipe Herrera, poet laureate of the United States
The education system lacks the language and pedagogy of poetry and this book seeks to rectify that by engaging seriously with the most energetic and open group: young people. Shelley Savren has written a beautiful andnecessary book. -- Dorianne Laux, nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry, author of The Book of Men: Poems
Welcome to PoetryLand is a great resource for educators and poets who teach writing to young people by providing explicit ways to enter a childs imagination in a variety of settings. I love the example poems and the innovative ways Ms. Savren incorporates her own passion of poetry into writing exercises that can reach any child. -- Terri Glass, former director of California Poets in the Schools
We felt Shelleys magic every time she entered my classroom, and I feel it as she shares her heart in these pages. What a gift to read and digest the treasures of her experience and insight. Every teacher who wishes to give students a voice to express themselves needs to share poetry writing with her or his class, and there is nothing better to guide the journey than Shelley Savrens book, Welcome to Poetryland: Teaching Writing to Young Children. -- Liz Hoppe, 2014 Ventura County Teacher of the Year

Author Bio

Shelley Savren is the author of two poetry books, The Common Fire (Red Hen Press 2004) and The Wild Shine of Oranges (Tebot Bach Press 2013), and The Form of Things Unknown: Teaching Poetry Writing to Teens and Adults (Rowman & Littlefield 2016). She is an English professor emeritus at Oxnard College and has been teaching poetry writing to young children for the past forty years. Visit her at www.shelleysavren.com.