Rationale for poetry.

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Lorraine Kilbride -Curriculum Group E - English Assignment

Rationale for poetry

The areas of English taught at Key Stage 1[KS1] and Key Stage 2 [KS2] are set out in the National Curriculum [NC] document. Poetry is one of these areas. At KS1 children should read and listen to nursery rhymes and poetry, learning some by heart, and read aloud. At KS2 children should read aloud, telling and enacting stories and poems. The National Literacy Strategy [NLS] guides teachers on which poems and poetic forms to teach in the classroom. There are two recent views that the NC and the NLS are failing in their approach to poetry.

  • According to Carter, the NC for English is very limited in its approach to poetry [Carter, 1998]. He argues that the NC fails to take on board the potential poetry has to offer in many areas of a child’s development such as language, sensibility and dream power.
  • Bielby [1999], as cited by Lambirth, argues that children come to school already enjoying rhyme and poetry yet this enjoyment is being corrupted by the analytical and technical approach of the NLS. Poetry should be about exposing children to poetry and allowing them to respond as children.[Lambirth, 2001]
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These are both valid points, but is it the fault of the NC and the NLS that poetry is seen as a challenge and daunting area both to teach and learn. I briefly intend to illustrate why it is important to teach poetry as part of the NC.

Promotes awareness of language

Children’s ability to respond to words and sounds is almost innate. According to the Oral Language Development Continuum [1997] babies under one year old, when they babble, include all sounds and selectively drop those that do not occurring their own language. This playing continues with ...

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