Finding Poetry

An Interactive Poetry Workshop for Primary Schools

"Perfectly pitched. Held the children's interest for the whole time. Literacy has never been such fun!" Teacher, Loders Primary School, Dorset.

Tor Theatre have joined forces with Kate Scott (prize winning poet regularly heard on BBC Radio 4's Poetry Please) to create this fun packed, dynamically interactive poetry workshop for primary schools.

Our unique approach combines the energy of a drama class with the wonder of finding out just how exciting poetry can be. Children are given exciting, practical exercises that build on their knowledge and understanding of the basic components of poetry including simile, metaphore, alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia. The difference between literal and figurative language is explored.

 

"The children returned to the classroom buzzing with ideas and eager to put pen to paper."



Learning Points

Poems can be fun and easy to create. They are there for everyone to enjoy.

Poems can take on many different forms and we can use different methods to create them.

Using our imagination is fun and poetry allows us to express ourselves in exciting new ways, exploring all our senses.

Words can afect mood and atmosphere, changing the way we feel as well as the way we think. Poetry can make us learn to look at the world from a different point of view.

Poetry can be fond in everyday life. We can find examples of poetry all around us, from what we read in newspapers to the words on the back of cereal packets.

Workshop Structure

  • Introduction and 'getting to know you' using rhyming and rhythm games.
  • Exercises on images and sounds.
  • Introduction of terms involved in creating a poem, the complexity of which will vary according to year group.
  • Children are encouraged to create their own poems.
  • Poems by children's writers are read and performed - which do we like best and why?

Requirements

Numbers: Maximum 35 children per sesion.

Age Range: We offer four different workshops for the following year groups: Reception and Year 1, Years 2 and 3, Year 4, Years 5 ad 6.

Set Up Time: Performers will arrive 30 minutes before the start of the workshop.

Running Time: Workshops last one hour.

Location: School hall or large class room with clear space.