Once you’re passed the nursery rhyme stage, do you still enjoy sharing poetry with your children?
We recognise the important value of nursery rhymes for very young children, as they pass on the sounds and rhythms of our native languages, but the value of poetry doesn’t diminish as children get older. Approached with passion, poetry can be inspiring, and how it’s shared with children makes a vital difference to their engagement with it.
Judy Friedberg’s article in the Guardian yesterday featured teachers and pupils from a London school using hip-hop to teach poetry. The teachers interviewed talk about poetry building children’s confidence and self-esteem – particularly when they have the opportunity to perform their work in front of others. Watching the video of the year 9 students delivering their poetry to an assembly is inspiring.
So could you hold a hip-hop slam with your children and encourage them to perform some poetry they’re composed?
We used some simple poetry prompts last year to write poems about the sunflowers we grew as part of our Sunflower Challenge. This year the plan is for a small group of B’s friends to each write a poem to read at a summer gathering in the school holiday.
We’ll be hosting an outdoor poetry picnic – because hip-hop poetry is too cool just for school.
happily shared with it’s playtime
Great article, I use hip hop to inform kids about the dangers of obesity, and bullying. What the teacher is doing in the classroom in England, is what America needs to apply.
There are many parents who grew up listening to hip hop music and the kids today are far too familiar with “Pop Culture”. So why not connect and engage with them with some they Know and Love, but use it an empowering way.