How to Teach Poetry Writing at Key Stage 3

By Pie Corbett. This is a practical manual for teachers, to be used directly in the classroom.

The book begins with a series of poetry games, designed to warm up creativity and strengthen the imagination. These are followed by a series of creative poetry workshops, based on the writer's own experience both as a teacher and poet running workshops in schools, which focus on developing a "poetry base" for young writers.

This imaginative base provides a range of poetic techniques and gives pupils experience in developing a repertoire of different forms. The book also offers advice on how to organise an effective workshop, and demonstrates how to teach poetry writing in a dynamic, creative, and imaginative way.

Workshops include:

• writing from first hand observation
• autobiography
• writing about paintings, sculpture, and music
• surreal boxes and the bag of words
• secrets, lies, wishes, and dreams
• creating images, taking word image snapshots
• riddles - hiding the truth
• red wheelbarrows and messages for mice