I appreciate and will use the idea of providing students with a list of things to do research on before I read a novel. I also like the idea that writing does not always have to be in the form of an essay. I really am enjoying every new idea I get from these reading selections. I think however, when I teach “I” poetry I will have the children first write about themselves. I plan to use the format introduced by Levstik and Barton. I think they should be good at this before I have them take on the role of a character, place, or thing. I will assign the form of assuming a role however, when I read to them ”The Witch of Blackbird Pond.”
I hate to admit it, but I have never read Out of the Dust and this poem has inspired me to read this to my students this year. The poem is so sad. The section ‘Students as poets’ is a very true statement just from my observations of my own clqssroom this year. If I say we are going to write a poem no one complains now. They are eager, they take their time, they are chosing what we call ‘bigger words’ (not simple terms), and they are having fun. Some are still determined to write every poem with rhyme and even though this is okay I want these children to realize poetry is not just cute rhyming words, a poem actually says something.
