Performance Poetry:

Franco, Betsy. Messing around on the Monkey Bars: and Other School Poems for Two Voices. Illus. Jessie Hartland. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick, 2009. Print. ISBN 9780763631741.

Franco’s picture book collection of performance poetry is entertaining for students because they can relate to it. On the playground, kids are skipping rope and making trades. In the library, they’re whispering, fidgeting, and giggling. In the classroom, they’re learning their lessons, spinning tales, getting through the afternoon, listening to sounds instead of paying attention, and other fun-filled events. These activities are brimming with sensory imagery – sounds, images, movement, along with rhyme and rhythm, onomatopoetics, free verse, and repetition. The engaging collection of nineteen poems is ideal for reading aloud singularly or in groups of pairs, alternating lines, sharing line, or doing the lines in groups of boys/girl front/back, etc. The board listeners are gone! Everyone can participate. It is important for the children to be at the appropriate reading level allowing the other students to be able to comprehend the content as they listen to the performance. Words, pictures, and voices explode with all the non-stop fun activities around the school in poetry form in which the students can participate.

The Table of Contents reflects the poems are arranged as a student would progress through their day, beginning with “Wild Bus Ride” as the day starts with an adventure. Next the author has a note guiding the reading through her use of the poems’ font; they vary to indicate the particular voice that reads it in paired or group readings. The variation is difficult to detect without in-depth font comparing which is a distraction as students read. At the end of the collection the author makes suggestions of varied ways to read particular selections. Acknowledgements conclude the book. The use of an Elmo would benefit the students so they can all see the poems in addition to using the colored high lighting tape to assist the student to differentiate reader’s line, allowing them to focus on the content.

Harland, the illustrator, compliments the fun and action filled poetry with whimsical, colorful, action-filled illustrations which emulate children’s drawing. The subject of the poem contains details and the characters have expression-filled faces. The bright and vivacious illustrations frame and compliment the poetry as it helps the readers better relate to the poem.


Poem for Library Lesson:

“New Kid at School”

Where did you come from?


Far away.


Miss your friends?


Every day...


How old are you?


Just turned eight.


You like hoops?


Yeah, great.


Got any friends?


Nope, not yet.


Wanna play?


You bet!


Activity:

After reading the poem aloud twice to the class in different voices, again read it two more times using another adult (class teacher) as the second voice. Allow the students to think about the readings then discuss the poem. Did using two people make the poem appear more like a conversation? Does this poem sound like a conversation you have with a friend? Why or why not? Let the students explain. Ask the students to think of at least three times they were the new person in a situation. Ask the students to think about each of the three times they were the new student. Ask, “What kind of conversations did you have with another student?” As a whole group the class writes a performance poem for two voices, with the guidance of the librarian, about being the new student. After writing the poem, reflect on it, quietly and orally. Divide the class into groups of three, if possible. Two of the students perform the poem as the third is the audience, then the roles change. The poem is performed three times allow everyone to be the audience. The whole class gathers and discusses experiences they had in their groups.