Poetry in the education of kindergarten to grade three children

Hiscock, Audrey M. (1982) Poetry in the education of kindergarten to grade three children. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (47MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

Many young children in the kindergarten to grade three years are being deprived of the heritage of great poetry which is theirs, and of its potential contribution to their education. This unrealized potential is, in part, the result of a reluctance on the part of teachers to make optimal use of poetry in the school life of the child. Foremost among the reasons for this reluctance is the inadequacy both of 'their exposure to good poetry for children and of their professional preparation. Furthermore, the content of the prescribed texts constitutes inadequate exposure to good poetry. -- This study was undertaken to survey the literature germane to the subject of poetry in the education of the young child in order to establish a rationale for the according of a prominent place to poetry in the first four years of the child's school life, to examine criteria for judging the quality of that poetry and to apply those criteria in the compilation of an annotated bibliography of poems, and to suggest ways in which teachers may bring children and poetry together in a pleasurable and rewarding relationship. -- Books and periodicals examined were identified through the use of the appropriate standard bibliographic tools. References cited reflect a representative sampling of opinions published in North America and Great Britain during the period 1931-1981. The annotated bibliography is limited to print materials in the English language which are procurable in Canada and the United States. The list is not, nor was it intended to be, exhaustive. While every effort was made to include all those poets who have made a significant contribution to the existing body of poetry for young children, no attempt was made to list all the work of any given poet. The suggestions to teachers are designed to help those who may feel ill- at-ease in using poetry, but they are not intended to be followed slavishly. -- Based on the findings of the study, a recommendation is put forward to suggest how schools may be supplied with an adequate, up-to-date collection of materials to ensure the success of the proposed program. Other recommendations focus on the pre-service and in-service preparation of teachers, and on the evaluation of the resulting program.

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