Book Review 3

I found Regie Routman's book Kids' Poems Teaching Kindergartners to Love Writing Poetry to be very interesting and easy to read.  Published by Scholastic in 2000, Ms. Routman states her message very clearly, "I want you to take away from this book.. . .You can do this too." Using clear and specific examples, she has succeeded in persuading this reader.

From the initial "Getting Started" Chapter, Ms. Routman offers a thorough explanation and example filled guide of how to implement poetry writing in the kindergarten classroom.  She concludes with illustrations of how poetry writing can become central to life in the classroom.  One can sense the genuine excitement in Ms. Routman's words and her love for poetry is very evident.  Her enthusiasm for poetry, and her desire for kindergartners to write and love poetry, is very contagious.

I am very excited about trying out many of her ideas next spring in my own kindergarten classroom.  One of the ideas that I plan on borrowing is her lesson framework.  It makes so much sense.  I will first share and discuss samples of other children’s poems, very possibly samples from within the book, and then I will write a poem in front of the students.  Her message to adults and children alike that "You can do this too" will be foundational in all my efforts.  I also will work to remember that anything done with the poem ". . .always happens in the context of enjoying the poem as a whole" I think this must be primary.

One of the things I appreciated most in Ms. Routman's book was the sharing of the children's poems.  Written and displayed in their kindergarten simplicity, they were rich in diversity.  I really want my students to see the value of what others, their own age, have created.  I think that seeing poems written by other kindergartners will be very motivational.

In conclusion, I have really appreciated the opportunity to read Ms. Routman's book.  I have found it to be very inspiring.  I look forward to the opportunity to utilize many of her ideas with my students next spring.  I do believe that we will all be able to write our own poems.