Teeth, Wiggly as Earthquakes: Writing Poetry in the Primary Grades by Judith Tannenbaum, Philippa Stratton (Editor)

From the Publisher

Teeth, Wiggly as Earthquakes guides teachers who want to explore writing poetry with their primary students. The lessons are easy to follow and contain numerous model poems written by primary students. Lessons build on one another in their exploration and use of image and sound as well as in their organization into themes. The book contains information on how to create projects, publications, and performances once students have created a body of poems. There are also ideas for incorporating poetry more fully into a primary classroom.

Judith Tannenbaum gives teachers information while also respecting their intelligence. They can use the book as a step-by-step guide and then, as they feel more comfortable with poems, adapt the lessons, add model poems by their own students, and make up entirely new lessons. The book includes examples of how other primary teachers did just that. As author and teacher Carol Avery writes:

After reading this book I was inspired to use some of the ideas that Judith suggests, but I did not feel shuttled into a lock step approach that ignores differences among children. I found that the approach here provides expertise and direction but leaves plenty of room for individual adaptation and innovation. I'm impressed with the author's responses to children. They are responses that honor children's thinking and respect them as individuals. Judith never comes across as superior to children. She clearly has the expertise to share with children but provides opportunity for children to bring their own expertise to the writing. . . . This teacher/poet knows how to bring out the best in children.

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