Teaching Poetry in the Primary School: Perspectives for a New Generation; The Poetry Book for Primary Schools

Two books with excellent ideas for poetry teaching in primary schools came out at the end of last year, on first impressions rather daunting.

Teaching Poetry in the Primary School grew out of the Clwyd Poetry Project and aims to stop the decline of poetry in schools and reconcile the spirit of creativity, the needs and nature of the child with the demands of the National Curriculum and the Literacy Strategy. Carter is critical of the programmed approach of the Literacy Hour and wants to prove that poetry has a 'unique and powerful role to play in developing children's literacy'. The book describes at length the many different ways poetry can be used in the Literacy Hour with ideas for lessons, cross-curricular activities, strategies for teaching and week by week plans for classes for all the primary years. Throughout, Carter emphasises the importance of the 'poetic voice' and teaching children to (as Seamus Heaney puts it) 'credit marvels'. There is discussion on some excellent poems from the traditional poets - Wordsworth, Keats, Stevenson - but a more diverse range of poets could have been included to represent the richness of language and approach. Where are the contemporary poets? Philip Gross has managed to squeeze in, but Milligan, McGough and Rosen are dismissed as 'comic poets', not weighty enough to be included in a serious poetry programme. Only two women poets are mentioned and although multi-cultural poetry is mentioned in the Appendices, no poems are actually used in the lesson plans. Apart from the obvious loss of diversity, it is also worth remembering that children will be meeting poems in dialect in the GCSE years, and that the so called 'comic poets' and younger contemporary poets have much to say about the 'poets voice' and crediting marvels.

The Poetry Book for Primary Schools is a treasure trove of contemporary poems, activities, interviews, lesson ideas and debate which can be used throughout the primary years. Although not specifically for the Literacy Hour, much will be relevant to it. The editor's enthusiasm and commitment to making poetry matter are evident. It is a relief to hear the poet's voice. Poets like Valerie Bloom, Philip Gross and lan Macmillan all have helpful and inspirational things to say and the choice of poets and poems is wide ranging.

As a book to quickly dip into for ideas and specific approaches, the layout and chapter headings present some obstacles. World plays are in boxes too small to be reader-friendly and the contents list and headings need to give a clearer idea of what is being covered. Wilson rightly says that poetry in schools depends on teachers and their enthusiasm and love for poetry, but then seems to assume that everyone reading the book is one of these teachers.

Both Carter's and Wilson's books have gold inside the pages, particularly for the teacher who is already steeped in poetry and who looks for opportunities to use it in the classroom. But many teachers avoid using poetry as a way of language development or encouraging the poetic voice because they just do not feel comfortable or sure enough of their strengths in this area. Both these titles assume that teachers need minimal support in looking at and responding to the actual poems.

My advice to teachers is to use Carter and Wilson's books in tandem for a thorough and contemporary approach to creating an atmosphere and a structure for teaching poetry after reading Ted Hughes' Poetry in the Making (which will inspire you and 'bed' your ear) and Adrian Mitchell's 13 Secrets of Poetry (which will give you confidence). In this way you will be able to help children to (as Ted Hughes puts it) 'find the words that will unlock the doors of all those many mansions in the head and express something of the crush of information that presses in on us.' HT Three, four and five star hardbacks or trade paperbacks previously reviewed in BfK and now published as mass market paperbacks.