Nursery Nurse, Lesley McDonough reads to Ty (left) and Lorik (right)
The University’s Children’s Centre has received funding to introduce children across all age groups to poetry.
`Little Beginnings’, funded by the Clore Poetry and Literature Awards, aims to engage children in poetry using a range of different activities.
Every quarter, a poem will be chosen and all of the children will be encouraged to make their own responses to it, using a range of media including music, words, performance and art.
Younger children will explore the poem’s rhythm and sounds using simple musical instruments and older children will be encouraged to talk about how the poem makes them feel and draw pictures and collages to represent their feelings.
Pre-school children will learn about the meanings of the words used in the poem, and learn how to spell them. They will also be encouraged to compose their own poetry and at their graduation ceremony, which takes place before they leave to go to school, the children will recite a poem to the audience.
Parents will also be encouraged to read the poem to their children at home and talk to them about how it makes them feel.
Children who attend the Centre’s play scheme, which runs during the school holidays and caters for five to 10 year olds, will discuss the poem in detail in small groups. They will then have the opportunity to write their own poetry and create their own works of art inspired by the poem.
Julia Rabaca, Manager of the University’s Children Centre, said: “I am delighted that we have received this funding award for the ‘Little Beginnings’ project. Children and poetry are a natural fit. The rhythm and language of poetry makes it perfect for reading aloud. It provides children with great enjoyment but also plays an important role in language development and learning to read. We hope that this innovative project will be the start of a lifelong relationship for the children with poetry.”
Three-year-old Jessie enjoys one of her favourite books
The University’s Children’s Centre, runs in partnership with Local Solutions, provides childcare for University staff and students from all over the world in addition to school holiday play scheme provision. Over 17 languages are spoken by children at the Centre and as part of this project it is hoped that parents who speak different languages will suggest poems for the children to explore, giving the project a truly international feel.
The Clore Poetry and Literature Awards fund initiatives for children and young people, under the age of 19, across the UK. The awards were created with the aim of providing opportunities to experience poetry and literature in exciting and compelling ways, in and out of school.
Well done to the Children’s Centre. Sounds like a wonderful project which I am sure will benefit the children immensely. I think children of all ages can enjoy poetry – at the VG&M I ran a poetry project for teenagers a couple of years ago with our art and heritage collections providing the inspiration for their own poetry. The poems are in an on-gallery book in the museum. Good luck with the project. Kirsty Hall, Education Officer, Victoria Gallery & Museum