the poetry practice - writing your way to hope and healing
POETRY POWER FOR CHILDREN

"Poetry breaks through the skin of suffering in which children are often imprisoned: silent, confused, scared. A child's poetry is an intimate, trusting gift to her parent, or to anyone who wished to 'read' her heart"
—Alice Walker


Workshop description

This is POETRY POWER, the power of the written word! This is not some stuffy poetry class... it will be the fun of playing with language.

- Discover THE MAGIC WORD BOX and the secret behind Harry Potter.
- Take a poetry walk.
- Listen to weird music and write words.
- Visit imaginary places.
- Pretend you are someone else.
- Draw and write your dreams.
- Make wishes.
- Talk to animals
- Use your imagination, creativity and fly!

We'll even perform our poems. Fun with words guaranteed!

To parents

Think of Poetry Power as those cereals kids love for the taste, and Moms and Dads love for the nutrition. Poetry definitely is good for the kids...they'll find that writing can help express how they see the world, learn about themselves, become curious, overcome shyness by reading aloud (and the spoken word is big news these days!), and acquire language arts skills.

But mostly, they are encouraged to have fun!!! (And not worry about spelling, punctuation and grammar - we can always "fix" that later.)

Some benefits of poetry writing with children

SELF EXPRESSION

-Children are free to say what they need to say, openly and honestly, to work out their concerns, and talk about themselves without embarrassment.

USING ALL THEIR SENSES

-observe things closely
-think out details
-experience objects, surroundings and events with more than just intellect
-communicate perceptions

TO SENSITIZE THEM TOWARDS AND EXTEND THEIR USE OF LANGUAGE

-to hear natural rhythms and music in the way we speak
-to delight in trying new arrangements of words and new structures for phrases
-to take words seriously
-by sharing poems aloud, children improve their listening skills and begin to hear the difference an individual voice can make

TO GET THEM INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING A POEM

-Children want to acquire language art skills - leads to a lasting relationship with language and literature.

More on what poetry gives children:

-Students find writing can be lively and absorbing.
-Writing can help them express how they see the world.
-It can help them learn about themselves.
-They will encounter things they didn't know were there.
-They will learn, in a personal way, how interesting it is to look around and see what everything really looks like - an endless study.
-This CURIOSITY extends into ALL areas of learning.
-If they find excitement in writing, they'll be more likely to write attentively and abundantly.
-Shy children overcome their fear by standing up and reading their own poems aloud.

"Teaching really is not the right word for what takes
place: It is more like permitting the children to discover
something they already have."
—Kenneth Koch

A few words

I live to spread my love of words to all - to open doors that only appear to be closed, while coming up with inventive ideas that get children writing and exploring all parts of their lives and their individual visions for the world. Poetry is a great tool for helping children reach beyond their perceived limitations, build self-esteem and create empowerment. I've helped many children with emotional difficulties express their feelings through writing. As one fourth-grade child poignantly said to me, "my feelings are lighter on paper."

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