YA Textbook Reflection Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Poetry
Summary: Poetry is NOT a genre, rather a format of literature. It can be found in
fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, or traditional literature. It's important to share poetry
with children and Jean Le Pere gave us six valid reasons on why it's important:
1. Enjoyment
2. Provides knowledge of concepts
3. Increases vocabulary
4. Helps children identify with people and situations
5. Helps children understand their feelings
6. Grants insights to their feelings and universal emotions
Summary: Poetry is NOT a genre, rather a format of literature. It can be found in
fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, or traditional literature. It's important to share poetry
with children and Jean Le Pere gave us six valid reasons on why it's important:
1. Enjoyment
2. Provides knowledge of concepts
3. Increases vocabulary
4. Helps children identify with people and situations
5. Helps children understand their feelings
6. Grants insights to their feelings and universal emotions
There are 5 criteria for evaluating poetry for children:
1. Is it within reach of the child's understanding
2. Does the poem use imagery? (sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures)
3. Does the poem rhyme? It's important for beginner poetry to rhyme so they can then scaffold
later on and appreciate blank verse and other forms that don't rhyme.
4. How is rhythm used? (natural vs. forced rhythms) Does the rhythm fit the subject of the poem?
5. What role does sound play?
1. Is it within reach of the child's understanding
2. Does the poem use imagery? (sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures)
3. Does the poem rhyme? It's important for beginner poetry to rhyme so they can then scaffold
later on and appreciate blank verse and other forms that don't rhyme.
4. How is rhythm used? (natural vs. forced rhythms) Does the rhythm fit the subject of the poem?
5. What role does sound play?
8 Criteria for selecting poetry for children:
- Can children understand it?
- Does it stir emotion?
- Does it play with the sounds of language?
- Is it age appropriate?
- Does it allow the reader to be interactive with the poem?
- Is subject matter appealing and appropriate?
- Will it be able to stand up under repeated readings?
- Will it accompany you through life?
1. Kids prefer narrative poetry
2. Kids disliked free verse and haiku poetry
3. Rhyme, rhythm, and sound devices were strong preferences
4. Funny poems, familiar experiences and animal poems were popular
5. Preference for contemporary poems (recognizable words)
6. Visual images and words that allow the children's imagination to expand (should include imagery and sensory poems).
7. Poems shouldn't be simplified for the sake of the children understanding them
8. A good poem should allow interaction with it
9. It's good enough for repeated readings
Reflection/Response: Poetry is one particular format of literature that becomes less popular with children the older they become. It’s important for librarians to be in tune to that in order to better select poetry that’s appropriate for their age and interest. Otherwise you will more than likely lose a student to potentially disliking poetry in the long run. I think if you take into account the research done by Ann Terry and learn how to evaluate poetry in order to better select it, you will gain positive effects into the lives of your students.
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