Teach Early Years - Issue 14.2

JANE NEWBERRY IS A POET, CHILDREN’S AUTHOR AND SONGWRITER Jane Newberry explains why playful poetry is so engaging for the very young… “Poems nourish imaginations” C hildren at a primary school come in for a poetry workshop. Faces are curious, fearful, uncertain, defensive, expectant, too- cool-for-skool, watchful and wary. What is this thing, poetry? Will it be hard? Will it make me look silly? Will it be scary/weird? Will it…? Is it safe? I – that’s me in the big red boots – feel drawn to all that is inclusive, all that is easy and fun. I dive straight in, no intros, and I watch the fears and apprehension fall away. A very large portion of my life has been dedicated to producing poetry that anyone can do, however uncertain they are, whatever their special need. I almost certainly sang for ritual, for reassurance, for pleasure long before words were written down. In today’s primary settings, some teachers are uncertain about leading singing activities, but singing and performing poetry “out loud” is important for children’s general wellbeing as well By joining inwith a song taught aurally, children access their own rhythmic skills aim to break down barriers of mistrust in learning. Part of my USP as a children’s poet is where I began: with writing songs – simple join-in, jam-along songs, which I published under the banner “playsongs”. ( A Sackful of Songs , Cramer Music 2005). And it is the playing that is needed in early years. Children need to be free to play and to be educated through playful concepts. By joining in with a song taught aurally, children access their own rhythmic skills, those built into everyone’s DNA. Mankind 30 Teachearlyyears.com