Kids and Poetry Blogging

Want to do something really special this year? How about inspiring a young poet and encouraging them to keep on with their writing? For many adults, poetry was something we memorized in school, often taught by someone who had about as much interest in trophes and iambs and lyrical feet as we did. That sort of teaching made for a healthy dislike of anything bearing the name “poem” – and sadly, colored an entire generation”s idea of what poetry is. What got me thinking about it was a short note at Ewan McIntosh”s blog about the Sandraig Poets blog.

First though, a little background. I am passionate about sharing poetry with kids. From the earliest nursery rhymes to encouraging children and teens to put their feelings and thoughts down on paper, I believe that sharing a love of poetry with a child is one of the most valuable educational experiences you can give. Considering how many of our Poets Laureate – national and at a state level – have developed programs aimed at sharing poetry with schools and other children, I”m not alone in believing that. Ewan”s Edu.Blog is a favorite of mine because he shares his passion for blogging as an educational strategy. I often follow his links to see how others in teaching are using today”s technology to transform learning, so his link to Sandaig Poets was one I had to check out. Sandaig Poets is a page at the blog of the Sandaig Primary School in Glasgow, Scotland.

At the moment, the Poet page features Diamond poems – this year”s first poetry project – by students in one of the classes. The poems are a delight to read, with the creativity and novelty that young poets bring to their work. Even more fun is peeking back at work from the past years, work that has been commented on and in some cases, evolved into collaborations between the students and commenters from other schools, the community and the teachers. If you want to see the future of poetry developing – and even take a hand in encouraging and shaping it, this is your chance. Drop by, read, encourage – you never know what seeds you might be feeding when you do.