Module 5 - Poetry for Two Voices

Photo Source:  Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ (accessed March 29, 2011)

Summary:  Messing around on the monkey bars is a wonderfully illustrated book of poetry for two voices that elementary children will find very appealing.  It contains a Table of Contents that will be helpful to a teacher wanting to use the book’s poems randomly.  It is easy to find poems that relate to specific topics such as bus rides, new students, lunch money, lost and found, homework and recess. In an introductory note, the author explains how to read the book using two readers.  The different voices are designated by three different typefaces used: one type for the first reader, a second type for the second reader, and a third type for reading in unison. At the back of this book, is a very helpful two page suggestion on “adventurous ways” to read seven specific poems.

Quality: The poems are short and sweet.  They use language that will be easily understood by the intended audience, elementary students.  One wonderful thing about these poems is the use of onomatopoeia.  For example, in the poem, “Whirr, Whirr, Zing, Zap”, the reader finds the words whirr, zing, zap, thud, bonk, boing, grrr, broom, rap and tick-tock.  The rhymes of the poems are natural and not forced. Many of the rhymes are found in the second voice of the poem.  For example:

“New Kid at School”

Where did you come from?

Far away.

Miss your friends?

Every day.

Where do you live?

Maple Street.

What’s your name?

Call me Pete.

How old are you?

Just turned eight.

You like hoops?

Yeah, great.

Got any friends?

Nope, not yet.

Wanna play?

You bet!

Appeal:  These poems will really appeal to elementary school students.  They encourage the participation of the students and present situations students are very familiar with.  Not only can I envision students reading these poems I can foresee them performing the poems much like mini plays.  Students will have so much fun with this book of poetry.  The performance aspect of the poetry is so obvious that teachers will not have to think hard to figure out a way to get students moving and involved with these poems.

Use:  As mentioned above, teachers could just use these poems for performance poetry and the joy that it brings.  “Jenny’s Pencil” would be a perfect starter poem for performance.  It says in part:

Tap, tap

Tap, tap

Tap, tap

Tap, tap

Tap, tap                While we’re reading

Tap, tap                and we’re writing

Student could take turns being the student to physically tap their pencil on the table.  By the end of the poem, all students are tapping their pencil. Other poems such as “Jump Rope Jingle” and “Backboard Rap” could be used in physical education class if you had a P.E. teacher willing to play around with the students using poetry.  The poem,  “Me and Joe Lining Up After Recess”,  which concludes with two children being sent to the back of the line for misbehaving in line, could be used to teach students how to behave correctly in line.  These are only some examples of the many uses that can be made of this book of poems.

References:

Franco, Betsy. 2009. Messing around on the monkey bars and other school poems for two voices. Ill. Jessie Hartland. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.