ABSTRACT
Poetry, a highly crafted kind of written language, offers a rich resource for teaching literacy creatively. Its particular structures and forms generate interest and its multimodal nature incites physical movement from lips to fingertips. Poetry deserves to be read and responded to actively and imaginatively, prompting a desire to read more and discuss, perform, represent and write. In the PNS framework (DfES, 2006a), it is recommended as a literary genre for regular playful investigation across each year of the primary curriculum. As well as contributing to creativity, poetry can increase children’s self-awareness, empathy and evaluation as key aspects of their learning. In this chapter the focus is on teaching poetry creatively and employing the eight strands of creative literacy practice to enable children to develop their creativity in reading, performing and writing poetic texts.
