Poems in English lessons

Children might already enjoy reading and listening to poetry in your own language and perhaps in English too. Poems are, after all, authentic texts. This is a great motivator. Poems are often rich in cultural references, and they present a wide range of learning opportunities. Before doing any productive work, I like to give pupils plenty of pre-reading activities so that they are adequately prepared. It can be fun to get children to rehearse and perform a poem. I read the poem to them or play a recording, and they identify the stresses and pauses. A poem can spark off some wonderful creative writing. Students can add more lines or stanzas individually or in pairs or groups. You might need to spend a bit of time finding a poem that links thematically with your scheme of work, and making sure you respect the copyright rules. One of the things I like most about using poetry in the classroom is that I can usually create lots of opportunities for personalisation. This means that the students have plenty to say, and the communication is genuine because they are talking about their own experiences or hypotheses. They are engaged and motivated, which helps to make the lesson and the language memorable.