Poetry – From Reading to Writing: A Classroom Guide for Ages 7-11

Robert Hull is eminently qualified to write this guide. He is a respected poet, has 30 years of experience teaching and running writing workshops, and is very well-read.

Despite the pedestrian design of this book, the content sparkles. It provides a treasure trove of ideas and activities to help children read and write poetry. As Hull says ‘writing poems in the classroom flows from reading them’.

The book contains a broad range of poems by the author, his students and poets such as Emily Dickinson, Valerie Bloom, Michael Rosen and John Keats. There are numerous opportunities to explore poetry in its many forms and genres: riddles, haiku, ballads, rhyme and free verse. The relaxed and informed tone of the different chapters make this book feel more like an inspiring conversation about poetry, storymaking, reading and writing, rather than a dry step by step classroom guide. Not only does Hull state that ‘a poetry library is a necessity’, he gives practical help and suggestions on how to do it.

This is an essential guide for trainee teachers, teachers and pupils. It will help build confidence in teaching the reading and writing of poetry and encourage pupils to read widely.