In this high school arts integration lesson, students are pairing the 5 elements found in slam poetry for creating rhythm with the elements of theatre to create a slam poetry performance. Watch the video below. Slam Poetry. The following lesson plan and lesson narrative show English teachers how they can incorporate the use of literacy strategies to support high school students to learn content and concepts related to the study of poetry. would get in the way, the kiddos from my dear Literary Mag, Gay Straight. The poetry-friendly school A poetry-rich school environment is the best way for children to develop their knowledge and appreciation. With your encouragement, today's middle school and high school readers will discover a treasure trove of ideas and a multitude of great books. Our club meets about once every two weeks during the fall and spring, and once per week in the winter as we prepare for LTAB competition, as well as the “Louder Than a Bomb” poetry slam and the Open Mic. Previous Experience. Slam poetry is an art form that allows written-page poets to share their work alongside theatrical performers, hip-hop artists and lyricists. The lesson is designed for one block period (80-90 minutes) or two traditional classes (50 minutes). Australian Poetry Slam. MOLINE — Local high school students attending a "GET LIT" poetry-reading the campus before an open mic poetry slam at Western Illinois University in Moline. Students will identify the main points of a speaker's message by listening to poems and recording main ideas or examples of lovely language. Performers will compete for a panel of guest judges and should have three or more poems ready for the competition. Holding Your Own Poetry Slam Objective To use the concept of a “poetry slam” to Allow students to become familiar with poetry, its different forms, and how it is written. If you’re staring at a blank page and the words aren’t flowing, the creative writing prompts for poems can be a great way to get started. Established in 1991 in a small warehouse in Eastern England, Young Writers has blossomed into a worldwide brand! Today, Young Writers is still a family-run business, but on a much bigger scale than its humble beginnings. View full size Anne Laufe/Special to The Oregonian Senior Josh Wright won this year's Madison Poetry Slam and will represent his school at the district-wide Verselandia on Wednesday, April 25. Recipient of Merit Award For Overall School Topper, GD Goenka Model Town, 2017-18 Merit Award For Humanities Stream Topper, 2017-18 Recipient of the Ms. The media landscape is. Exclusive articles about Poetry I wrote a haiku every day for a week — here’s what I learned Attention fellow word nerds: Daily haiku-ing fired up my creativity, sweetened my days, brought me closer to others, and more, says TED Ideas Editor Daryl Chen. Elementary School Poetry Slam. (PSi) is to promote the creation and performance of poetry that engages communities and provides a platform for voices to be heard beyond social, cultural, political, and economic barriers. Legendary in Boston’s slam poetry scene, Jack McCarthy became nationally known when he was among those filmed for the 1998 documentary “SlamNation. 10 featured poets will share their works during Poetry Slam: After Hours from 6 to 8 p. Is homework made to just torture us? Are teachers really human? What I would do if I weren't in school. WILMINGTON -- A student femme slam (student-only) poetry competition will be held at 7:30 p. She has also been asked to teach spoken word poetry classes in the evenings for a local arts organization. Our Poetry Slam can be a free-admission event or a fund-raiser or it can include a fundraiser like a bake sale. McAleese introduced her friends and fellow poets Ela Barton, poet, artist and Show Host who has formed an all age slam forum called Rain City Slam located on Capital Hill. The Poetry Slam is a poetry performance competition in which contestants either read or recite their original poetry to the audience. The program has been designed to give young high school students an opportunity to share their creativity through spoken word and song. For this contest, students who are sitting at the same. The event, held last month, packed over 250 students, parents and. Twelve students will go head. World-champion slam poet Harry Baker shares the heartache of forfeiting the path of medicine for a self-guided career in poetry and writing. You can't do that alone by yourself. 25 slam poems, use in poetry slam session or to give students ideas on how to structure their own writing Arts And Crafts Store Info: 4664151251 All About Freelance Writing 25 slam poems appropriate for middle school and high school that you can use in lessons TOMORROW. Teachers’ Toolkit: tips for running slam poetry sessions Using a theme Identity , the theme of the SLAMbassadors competition, is an enormous and generous theme which affords plenty of room for interpretation. Dissertation poetry slam queerere an essay to get into high school help me with my sample nursing school admission essays. So we’ve changed the name to, simply, “Ways to Celebrate” since we intend to add ideas each spring and don’t want to end up with “3,486. It describes practical, pragmatic, and procedural ideas for how to find your way to the "shore" with more frequency and structure. I started the Humble High School Poetry Slam troupe, and. 2 - Five Different Ideas for your Slam Poems 19 Social and Global Issues That Can Be Used For Slam Poetry Topics. Exceeding three minutes earns a time penalty. Her marriage to a wealthy businessman gave Wharton ample time to devote to writing such well-known novels as The House of Mirth, The Age of Innocence, and Ethan Frome. Slam poetry competitions are held throughout the world and offer cash prizes. I then add them to this area. Great birthday idea for you on this one too. Why not give your teachers and their handiwork some love, too? Highlighting academic spaces and endeavors can be a really cool way to add something different to your yearbook this year. It is regularly updated with painting, drawing, design, sculpture, video, architecture and fashion design competitions from around the world and focuses on those that offer significant prizes, fame or glory. ENGLISH 4 : MODULE 03 : LESSON 05 INTRO: POETRY SLAM Introduction Becoming the Poet You have. The Poetry Learning Lab from the Poetry Foundation. In the South Bay area, he has led youth spoken word workshops at Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, Fremont High School, and The German International School of Silicon Valley. April 1, 2013 at 8:00 am Uptown Poetry Slam Green Mill Jazz Club 4802 N. Grading your students work will be easier with this rubric that has all the essential components such as: organization, elements of poetry writing, grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling. Kelli researches the fields of secondary school curriculum, teacher identity, digital literacy and children’s literature, presently focusing on the use of project based learning in secondary English. OXNARD — The Gender Equality Club at Rio Mesa High School will host the 2nd annual Poetry Slam in honor of International Women’s Day from 5-7 p. , University of Massachusetts Boston Directed by Professor Carol Smith Upon entering the Critical and Creative Thinking Program, I was unsure of my strengths. norcom high school, portsmouth – sat. You're loved for just being you. Tiny things are all around you!. It is reading everyday life as text. Great birthday idea for you on this one too. “I think they’re both versions of ‘ideas worth spreading,’” she said, citing the TED slogan. Captures a narrative in miniature with a creative structure. Thomas McInroy said. The winners of the Poetry Slam will have the opportunity to highlight their "Slam" during black history month and support charity week. High School Students + Fun Poetry Activities. Go to page 29. Each of the student contestants prepared two original poems to be performed in front of a live audience and judges. These included teaching gigs with various poetry organizations, particularly Young Chicago Authors (YCA), the group responsible for the city’s now hugely successful high-school poetry slam, Louder Than A Bomb. Annual Teen Poetry Slam. Desire to Inspire Scholarship Slam. Teaching slam poetry doesn't have to be boring! These 12 slam poetry ideas will help your middle school and high school students ROCK slam poetry. I've put together a list of sonically rich poems with strong narrative hooks—and a few performance tips that will point students in the high school and college classroom and beyond to the pleasures of reciting poetry. We will explore the parallels and expand the ideas of poetry and creative writing as it relates to the art form. The Tucson Youth Poetry Slam packed the house… AGAIN! Our October slam was on the 19th, and this month, we had some very special guests. Poetry Project Handouts. the same day. 9, you can see it every second Thursday of the month as its Poetry Slam and Open Mic enters its 10th season. Poetry 5000! Elisabeth Houston Some of you may write slam poems and others sonnets; regardless, I welcome anyone with a desire to play with language, tinker with imagery, and shape new sounds. I encourage you to use these ideas in your own regard and context. Grab the closest book. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Narratively, The Huffington Post, The Jewish Daily Forward, Radius, Williams Magazine, and elsewhere. 2 - Five Different Ideas for your Slam Poems 19 Social and Global Issues That Can Be Used For Slam Poetry Topics. Last year we had nearly 35 poets share their work on stage! Events. Ever since then, I have devoured poetry: comedic, nostalgic, pensive, but especially romantic poetry. Not only is April National Card and Letter Writing Month, it's National Poetry Month too! In honor of the occasion, I've put together some poetry writing prompts for kids. Write down 10 words that catch your eye. Like all library events, the Poetry Slam is free. Spoken-Word Poets Bring Words to Life for Students in 2004 as a way to share the art of spoken-word poetry with students in her high school, the United Nations International School in New York. Poetry is a crucial part of our cultural inheritance. Mar 19, 2016. Free K-12 educational videos … organized. The poet will be the winner of the first All-City Poetry Slam, set to start March 10 and continue throughout the month at the Gary and Janice Podesto IMPACT Teen Center. Feb 21, 2019. TweetEnglish teacher Mr. Take a look at these packs and plans and encourage your students to appreciate the reading and writing of poetry – not only today, but in the coming weeks too. Poetry is feeling put into words! I have been a HUGE fan of poems since a fantastic teacher had us create a poetry portfolio during my Junior year of high school. The students loved it and the Ram Slam. Teachers’ Toolkit: tips for running slam poetry sessions Using a theme Identity , the theme of the SLAMbassadors competition, is an enormous and generous theme which affords plenty of room for interpretation. From chemistry to computer programming, arts to World War II, ThoughtCo. OUR MOUTHS ON PAPER: A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE, SOCIAL IMPORTANCE, AND SELF- EXPLORATION STEMMING FROM SLAM POETRY August 2011 Candace McDuffie, B. BuzzFeed Home Sitemap© 2019 BuzzFeed, Inc. Because of particular systemic and social issues within the literary communities, it can be difficult for some kids to gain access to books they want to. The event, held last month, packed over 250 students, parents and. National Poetry Slam, Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas, Seattle Poetry Slam. At Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School, students have the opportunity to join a variety of school clubs and teams, including a slam poetry team. The pentad helps you do two things: generate material for poetry, and think about what makes poetry poetic. Posted 10/18/16 12:51 AM, 48 messages. Slam poetry is a little bit of an obsession of mine, and as a teacher that has taught grades ELA,. 25+ Slam Poems Appropriate for Middle School and High School –my most viewed post by far. Poetry: Since making the Australian Poetry Slam National Finals in 2013, Manal no longer competes in slams but has gone on to perform around the country including at The Sydney Opera House. Kelsey Calvin, a Milwaukee High School of the Arts sophomore, is among the poets who will be representing Wisconsin in the national competition, along with Brianna Ward, Jonnie Dixon, Caide Jackson, Alea McHatten and Mikey Murray. Ask the students what they know about slam poetry and if they have ever participated themselves. Directed by Marc Levin. How to Start a Poetry Club at your School. “We have seen overall growth in poets having a desire to express their ideas and thoughts about what is going on in the world and it affects them daily regardless of age. Team Englewood Comm Acad High School. As a high school senior, Verdell was called the heart of her Baltimore youth team’s inaugural 2016 victory in Brave New Voices, an international youth poetry competition, during a summer of high. Poetry Interpretation. ” “So we got some friends together and tried to recreate that. We can include music. Three minutes to raise your voice, tell your story. " Poetry's Long Reach. docx from ENGLISH 4 HON 12 at Florida Virtual High School. " The event was hosted. National Poetry Slam, Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas, Seattle Poetry Slam. or its territories. Bristol Riverside Theatre is pleased to announce the winners of their highly successful First-Ever By The River Poetry Slam. Slam poetry competitions are held throughout the world and offer cash prizes. Slam poetry began in Chicago in the 1980s, and now it's so widespread that even some high schools have slam poetry teams that compete with other schools. Students will begin a very exciting journey into the world of poems by learning the basic elements of poetry. This group of Slam Poets just started working together as high school students in 2012 and ended their year as state champions. I encourage you to check out some of the Hotlinks for more resources and ideas on how to explore poetry writing with your students. The question is what does middle school students have to say regarding Obamacare? Well, one can be tasked to come up with a research paper for middle school regarding this issue but what will actually make a difference at the end of the day is whether you have a good understanding of it or not. " George Yamazawa, better known simply as G, stands in the middle of an auditorium at UNC-Greensboro, his hair in a bun, his bushy goatee puffing out. Each participating poet reads her poems in front of the crowd and is scored on a scale of one to ten by five judges picked at random from the crowd at the beginning of the competition. See who gets crowned the state's high-school champion of poetry recitation. Teaching slam poetry doesn't have to be boring! These 12 slam poetry ideas will help your middle school and high school students ROCK slam poetry. The poems can be original or people can read their favorite poems by others. Check it out for more ideas or put a link on your class website to let kids explore. The poetry contest coincides with an open house at the mansion from 2 p. If you think poetry. The presenter’s goal is to ensure that ALL students fully understand the meaning of the poem; yet remember that you are TEACHING, not just TELLING the class what the poem means. Take a look at these packs and plans and encourage your students to appreciate the reading and writing of poetry – not only today, but in the coming weeks too. The Poetry Out Loud finals featured Victoria’s finest high school slam poets. Slam Poetry is a fairly contemporary use of verbal poetry. In 1990, the first National Poetry Slam took place in Fort Mason, San Francisco, involving a team from Chicago, a team from San Francisco, and an individual poet from New York . It is liberation from labels. The course includes lesson plan outlines, class activities and. Over the years I have come up with some poetry experiences that students actually enjoy - so much, in fact, that they willingly read and seek to understand poems without ever dreading the "poetry unit. Tens of thousands of excellent, educational videos in a huge, intuitive directory. The students loved it and the Ram Slam. That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Roar by Katy Perry. Attend a poetry reading or slam poetry event. If you want ideas for how to use them, check out my introduction to slam poetry lesson plan here. Writing poetry doesn't have to be painful, especially for kids whose creative spirits love to be unleashed! Nevertheless, poetry prompts are a boon for those writers staring at a blank page and wondering where to begin. Some of our favorite poets are: Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. [Update: This post used to list 50 poetic forms for poets, but I’ve updated it with 100 poetic forms for poets. It helps when you're with people, it's an art form that happens in a moment. In 2015, Manal released her first book of poetry called ‘Reap’. Though I didn't read anything, I quit my full-time job in. For the final project, students work together in small groups to plan and execute a class on materials of their choosing. Words will be flying when several dozen high school students from across southwestern B. It is treating revision as sharpening blades. The Los Angeles Dodgers surprised students at Saugus High School and first responders in Santa Clarita Friday as part of the team’s Dodgers Love L. The School will officially open at 6:30am. The event, held last month, packed over 250 students, parents and. The Eighth-Grade Poetry Slam is a farewell of sorts, a massive event near the tail end of middle school, before classmates part ways for high school, said Kriss Ibis, a language arts teacher at. WHAT IS POETRY - FIGURES OF SPEECH (scroll down to the box for Figures of Speech--this was the most concise list I could find with the most important poetic devices). Students love to listen to their own music and if they see that it is really poetry, they will be more interested and receptive to a poetry unit. Blair will host its second annual Poetry Slam during Blair Fair on April 20 at 7 p. Slam poetry is a mixture between poetry and theatre. " George Yamazawa, better known simply as G, stands in the middle of an auditorium at UNC-Greensboro, his hair in a bun, his bushy goatee puffing out. Nevins taughthumanities at Rio Rancho High School from September 2001 to May 2003. The Los Angeles Dodgers surprised students at Saugus High School and first responders in Santa Clarita Friday as part of the team’s Dodgers Love L. Jamie Harrison is a high school English and Social Studies teacher in Brandon, Manitoba. Australian Poetry Slam heat for high school students: 4pm Sign up at 3:30pm to perform in the high school heat of the Australian Poetry Slam. Great overall resource about the basics. Slam is a type of poetry that is performed. I had no time to compete my dissertation, but my friend recommended this website. In this high school arts integration lesson, students are pairing the 5 elements found in slam poetry for creating rhythm with the elements of theatre to create a slam poetry performance. Las Vegas poetry slam team competing in battle of ideas, emotions July 8, 2016. Celebrating Community with Art and Poetry (High School Version) Standards Media Handouts. We are committed to eliminating inequities in schooling and creating learning opportunities for diverse learners using the power of knowledge and the promise of education. Possible topics that may be heard at a slam include racism, sexuality, gender orientation, feminism, mental illness, or any combination of these or other important issues. ONE POETIC VOICE bridges the Language Barrier welcoming to Chicago the Ligue de Slam France and Slam Team UPPERCUT. Here are the four poems that engaged my students, no matter what their comfort level with the form: 1. Is homework made to just torture us? Are teachers really human? What I would do if I weren’t in school. Group of Nicholas Senn High School poets among few all-female teams to reach final round of local slam poetry competition. Background Resources. In 2015, Manal released her first book of poetry called ‘Reap’. Teaching slam poetry to middle school and high school students can be fun and engaging for students and teachers alike! Here are 12 teaching ideas for the complete slam poetry experience from my classroom to yours! Slam poetry activities and slam poetry writing. Grab the closest book. I don't have any advice about starting a club, but there is a week-long poetry slam summer camp for high school students in Minnesota at Gustavus Adolphus College that might help you come up with some ideas if you could go (or even just from perusing their website and the topics that they cover at the camp). "The slam is empowering," says Sallach, who walked into one of Smith's first poetry slams in 1986. We can include music. High Point, NC 27262 United States + Google Map Spoken Word Poetry has a strong connection to Hip Hop and how it can build a community with sound and voice. It helps when you're with people, it's an art form that happens in a moment. This resource contains everything you need to turn your class into a set of performance poets. I have selected the poems you will find here with high school students in mind. Fairfield High School. Legendary in Boston’s slam poetry scene, Jack McCarthy became nationally known when he was among those filmed for the 1998 documentary “SlamNation. So if your 12 year olds slam the door in your face, make sure they have a book of poetry on the bed to read while they stew about how unfair life is!. After Hours events are for adults and high school students. More than 20 poetry lesson plans help teachers develop "well-versed" students. Anderson’s lips unconsciously curled into a smile as she recalled the days when she would “sneak Maya’s poetry books into her room and read them through the night. Here's what they had to say about the best poems for middle school and high school students. Arts And Crafts Light Fixture Info: 4648026074 POETRY SLAM: Get the strategies and tips you need to host a poetry slam in your middle or high school ELA classroom. An all-new Poetry. " Administrators say the fact that the slam has thrived for 15 years is a tribute to the school's teachers and students. Lincoln Middle School performs at 2016 Poetry Slam! DC SCORES. php:11) in /home/content/39/10974439/html. How to Start a Poetry Club at your School. Alphabet Poetry - This format uses the letters of the alphabet in order. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, was the event’s master of ceremonies, which featured a competition among Church da Poet, Sumthyng Like a Poet and …. Inspired by the middle -grade debut… HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL. " And for Pendergrass, slam poetry and TED talks go hand in hand. The slap of the boards resonate Boom, Bomb, Boom! Ten bodies perspirate Shush, hush. Much old bush poetry circulated orally and its authors are now unknown’. The prompts and ideas on this website intentionally open-ended. While he won't help the world by becoming. Designed for teachers, students, parents, homeschoolers, educators … and all life-long learners!. Closed for 2019. " - KS2 student from Beatrix Potter Primary School, October 2019. / 50 Amazing Award Certificate Templates Awards are a great way to encourage good behavior, set industry standards, and recognize excellent work in a variety of fields. Besides poetry, Thuthukani finds himself being a social activist, Marketing and Branding manager for TEDxUFS , and a Marketing Intern at Vrystaat Kunstefees (Free State Arts Festival). Now I think poetry is exciting! You can structure a poem in many different ways and I like that! You can put word patterns, rhymes, repetition, onomatopoeia, similes and metaphors. Poetry is characterized by writing that conveys ideas, experiences, and emotions through language and expression. Poetry Project Handouts. Power Poetry is pleased to announce My Year in Poetry Scholarship Slam to a current or former high school student younger than 26 years old, who will attend or is attending college within the U. Find at your fingertips ethnic selections, fiction and nonfiction reading comprehension highlighting poetry and famous poets, fun read and color books and a complete high school poetry review unit. The poems can be original or people can read their favorite poems by others. Dylan fans (this one included) compete in poetry slam with his lyrics on Thursday night Written by: Bob Keyes This July 22, 2012, file photo shows U. That's "slamming" in the poetry sense -- writers performing works in competition, before panels of judges. march 23 rd, 12-5pm semi final slam governor’s school for the arts black box theater, norfolk – fri. How to Start a Poetry Club at your School. At Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School, students have the opportunity to join a variety of school clubs and teams, including a slam poetry team. These Middle School Junior High Poetry Printable Worksheets are great for any classroom. The Poetry Center, John Timpane and Maureen Watts. High School. In the South Bay area, he has led youth spoken word workshops at Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, Fremont High School, and The German International School of Silicon Valley. With your encouragement, today's middle school and high school readers will discover a treasure trove of ideas and a multitude of great books. Students are encouraged to write their poems based on the topic "AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE VOTE. To create standards for national competition, the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) has defined a number of main events, described below. Matilde Wiese is a Law/Arts graduate currently completing her Honours in English at the University of Adelaide. Participants at the monthly Spoken Views Collective poetry event took a round of open-mic performances before launching into a three-round poetic competition judged by audience members. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, was the event’s master of ceremonies, which featured a competition among Church da Poet, Sumthyng Like a Poet and …. Make sure to publicize the event ahead of time to friends, family, neighbors and school staff. Below the activities list are links to related resources. NORTH BERWICK, Maine — A Noble High School teaching intern says she was barred from the school Tuesday after hosting an in-class poetry slam contest where profanity was used. The 180 poems selected by former Poet Laureate Billy Collins offer a reading for every day of the school year. Besides poetry, Thuthukani finds himself being a social activist, Marketing and Branding manager for TEDxUFS , and a Marketing Intern at Vrystaat Kunstefees (Free State Arts Festival). Poetry 180 Visit this Library of Congress site to make poetry an active part of your students' daily lives. A slam poetry reading. Taroona High School, 2018. She is an attorney and holds a Masters of Education from the University of Washington as of March 2016 where she studied racial disproportionality and disparate impact in school exclusion. A network of after-school programs draws teens into the world of spoken-word and slam poetry. A slam poetry reading. The slam is not excluded to members only, anyone can come and perform, not only poetry but even original songs as well. The use of slam poetry in a middle school Language Arts class can truly make poetry come alive for your students. The poetry contest coincides with an open house at the mansion from 2 p. Tomorrow (Monday 29 th of November) I’m back at Alexandra High school for the second year running holding a slam workshop all day with the year 9’s. High school poetry suffers from an image problem. I then add them to this area. Slam Poetry Formats. Poetry scholarship is one of the best ways to get into poetry learning schools. Roar by Katy Perry. Having been fortunate enough to have had a teacher who believed strongly in interacting with history – in facing history as a way of learning about ourselves – she strives to carry that same enthusiasm forward in her own teaching. "[Slam] is important because what people have to say needs to be heard," Gagliardi said. This group of Slam Poets just started working together as high school students in 2012 and ended their year as state champions. Best Poetry Events In Chicago. FTMP Events Presents: Poetry Slam for Saving LGBTQ Lives. Prince Technical High School has a wide range of options including everything from student council and National Honor Society to poetry and hiking club. Introduction. In these videos, teaching artist and two-time U. The following lesson plan and lesson narrative show English teachers how they can incorporate the use of literacy strategies to support high school students to learn content and concepts related to the study of poetry. It is great to read ideas from other teachers and maybe then use part of their idea or modify an idea to meet your needs. The poet uses the sense of sight to create a host of golden daffodils beside the lake. Join in some theatre and writing games to spark your imagination. Last Friday, our students came together to participate in our annual school-wide poetry slam. As the director of London Poetry Slam, and a two-time champion herself, Holly Painter knows a lot about the strength it takes to share one’s inner most thoughts and feelings with an audience. Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/content/39/10974439/html/index. Wordsmith is a community based organisation delivering performance poetry projects to school, youth providers and arts organisations. The Poetry Learning Lab is a great source of knowledge, including a glossary of poetry terms, links to public domain poems, and inspiring essays on poetry from writers and educators. He joined Youth Are Awesome because of his passion for writing and love of sharing his ideas. G Yamazawa: "Hip-hop has always spoken to me. While he won't help the world by becoming. When Riverside High School teacher Sheila Messick moved here from Chicago, where poetry slams originated, she introduced the concept to her English classes. The poems can be original or people can read their favorite poems by others. Blair will host its second annual Poetry Slam during Blair Fair on April 20 at 7 p. Poetry is a crucial part of our cultural inheritance. Dodgers Surprise Saugus High School Students, Here Are Some Great Food IdeasEvelyn Cardoza with El Torito stops by the KCAL9 studio with some ideas for your Slam Poetry Champ Nominated for. ” A consummate storyteller whose métier. How to Lead a Student Poetry Club by Robin Herrera, author– Page 8. Tori won third place in the adult category last November at the annual Western Colorado Writers Forum Poetry Slam competition at Colorado Mesa University. They will experience and learn these elements by reading various poems, listening to music lyrics, and ultimately creating their own poetry for a classroom poetry slam. Our feature poet, Maya Asher, led a workshop for over 20 youths that combined poetry with storytelling. These resources are also useful for the teaching and learning of English. Through participation in the Slam Poetry program, students will:. Chicago's own Marc Kelly Smith is often credited with creating slam poetry. Welcome to the 15th year of New Hampshire's Poetry Out Loud competition, which celebrates the diverse voices of our high school students. The messages and ideas conveyed in individuals' poems do not necesarily represent the views or opinions of Bankstown Poetry Slam or its supporters. Do you want to make poetry so fun and engaging that your students will ask for more? Here are some simple activities to get you started. The use of slam poetry in a middle school Language Arts class can truly make poetry come alive for your students. Students won't soon forget this poem, both for the story and the sensory details. March 10 in the school’s cafeteria at 545. Although I worried that final projects, prom, graduation, finals, etc. "So, using the literary devices that they know, kids sculpt and mold these works of art. body and fears, you might. The slap of the boards resonate Boom, Bomb, Boom! Ten bodies perspirate Shush, hush. of "ideas," an. Slam Poetry. The poem should be presented in an informative and engaging manner. The spoken word is very important at Payson Junior High:Poetry is an ancient art form that our school thinks should be heard as well as read. Made up of high school students, adults out of college and everywhere in between, the group takes pride in its inclusive atmosphere. Constance Hale, author of Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose, recommends: “Design” by Robert Frost. _____ Slam some poetry: students might leave poems. How fun is this! Creating your own poetry slam would be the perfect way to end your poetry unit and let your students show off their creations. ever national level poetry slam competition to be held in September 2016. Dasan Ahanu, a writer, performer and professor at St. Students are encouraged to write their poems based on the topic "AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE VOTE. Posted 10/18/16 12:51 AM, 48 messages. Naturally, some students take to slamming more eagerly than others. "They Flee from Me" by Sir Thomas Wyatt What can attitude tell us?. The Academy of American Poets presents poetry lesson plans, most of which align with Common Core State Standards, and all of which have been reviewed by our Educator in Residence with an eye toward developing skills of perception and imagination. Much old bush poetry circulated orally and its authors are now unknown’. Make magnetic poems, host a poetry slam, browse a children's poetry anthology, and more! High School Writing. Tickets are $12. OXNARD — The Gender Equality Club at Rio Mesa High School will host the 2nd annual Poetry Slam in honor of International Women’s Day from 5-7 p. Inspiration is what excites us, motivates us, and pushes us to create new ideas. Taroona High School, 2018. Source: The Primary Peach. It is reading everyday life as text. I am pleased to announce that Marshfield High School has just completed the Advanced Ed 5 year accreditation process with flying colors. Slam tells the story of Ray Joshua, an original, gifted young MC trapped in a war-zone housing project known as Dodge City. We can include music. 22 Ways to Teach and Learn About Poetry With The New York Times Using Social Media to Inspire Concise Writing has even more poetry ideas. The next board meeting is on February 12th at 7:00 AM. 21 at Kathie's. - Conceptualized and organized an offline promotional event “Slam Jam” that uniquely blended spoken word poetry & live acoustic music, garnering brand connection, product awareness and appreciation. in the Berlin High School auditorium. Slam Ulit will compete in the National Poetry Slam in Georgia Aug. The English department will welcome back poet Carol Peck, of the Maryland State Arts Council, to conduct poetry workshops for students prior to the competition. "[Slam] is important because what people have to say needs to be heard," Gagliardi said. Grading your students work will be easier with this rubric that has all the essential components such as: organization, elements of poetry writing, grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling. Found Poetry. Designed for teachers, students, parents, homeschoolers, educators … and all life-long learners!. Help students become more self-assured when speaking before others. Deer Hit by Jon Loomis. I don't have any advice about starting a club, but there is a week-long poetry slam summer camp for high school students in Minnesota at Gustavus Adolphus College that might help you come up with some ideas if you could go (or even just from perusing their website and the topics that they cover at the camp). Toronto Poetry Slam Semifinals #2 featuring KazMega from Edmonton - Jan 26 January 26, 2020 - 8:00pm The Drake Hotel - 1150 Queen Street West.


Children’s literature is a powerful genre. Everybody has a favourite childhood book that has influenced them. My favourite was Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. Often we want our own children or the children that we teach to enjoy the same book. No other category of literature is so loaded with social, cultural, historical, ideological, educational and commercial power. This makes it an interesting subject for literary criticism and I think it is important for teachers to critically appraise the books that are used in the classroom.
A significant aspect of children’s literature is that it is written by adults. Children are characters in the book but whose childhood does the book represent? Is it a real childhood or a theoretical one? When one group constructs another, then power becomes an issue. For much of children’s literature, the actual child is voiceless. Adults tell the stories and adults profit financially from book sales. Cyber spaces are becoming areas where children can have a voice in their own storytelling and I will be exploring this notion further in subsequent posts.
In diverse plural societies in a globalized world, the need for multicultural literature and the examination of cross-cultural responses has become more important. Cultural authenticity is key. As children’s literature is so full of direct and indirect meaning, it’s essential that teachers critically analyze the books that we introduce into our classrooms.
A critical analysis of a children’s classic
Below is a full critical analysis that I made of the children’s book Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel. It is a favourite in school libraries and often categorized as multicultural literature. In this interpretative essay, I uncovered the truth about this book, discovering that it is far from an authentic multicultural piece of children’s literature…
An analysis of the text Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel reveals a depth of meaning to the picture book. Tikki Tikki Tembo has been a durable text in English speaking educational environments for 40 years. It is a populist book and a text used by primary school teachers alike. Different readings and interpretations occur in light of significant theories, which focus on different aspects of the text- race, gender and class. The Foucauldian idea that power is available everywhere but depends on the discourse can be used when analyzing children’s literature. No interpretation is more meaningful yet the exploration of the postcolonial viewpoint, encompassing critical race theory and notions of a western constructed orient are particularly suited to Tikki Tikki Tembo. Ultimately how the text is read influences how children are placed in society.
It is from a formalist and structural perspective that most educators would support a use of the text in classrooms. The picture book has conventional, effective patterns in the narrative and illustrations that children find enjoyable. That is not to say that the meaning is not worth studying as in a traditional formalist view (Ryan 2007) but the meaning has been diminished by criticisms of authenticity over time. The use of rhythmic alliteration “Tikki Tikki Tembo” and repetition, for example “step, step over step” and “pumped the water out of him and pushed the air into him and pumped the water out of him and pushed the air into him”, encourages students to join in with the reading. In fact, given the effective structure and audible literary features, the text is best read aloud making it useful in the ESL primary classroom. The uses of illustrations in the picture book, from a formalist perspective reflect the text congruently (Sipe 1998) and aesthetically defining characters and the setting. The signs in the illustrations follow a structural framework, with recognizable symbols of everyday life- house, water, man, mother, children.
When viewing Tikki Tikki Tembo through the lens of historical knowledge, it is important to critically examine the constructed nature of the past (Jenkins 1991). Children’s literature and history are interconnected, both informing each other (Watkins 2005). History is a discourse that interprets the past, influenced by theory and power (Jenkins 1991). The historical context of a text is not a static fact, as history is not “closed” (Giroux 1991 p508). Therefore, when viewing a literary text historically, the context of the book is fluid. The purpose for the text and its values ( Sarland 1999) can be seen in different historical light depending on the view of past truth- for example as a push for multicultural awareness in a 1968 counter culture or a continuum of western obsession for controlling China.
Tikki Tikki Tembo was published in 1968 in New York. From a liberal socio-historical perspective, it is part of a post World War Two American cultural interest in China and Asia in general, as United States foreign policy increasingly saw Asia as strategically important in the Cold War (Klein 2003). China was a closed Communist nation in the throws of The Cultural Revolution and the cult of Mao (Meisner 1999). Tikki Tikki Tembo satisfies the western curiosity and symbolic consumption of Asia (Klein 2003), whilst presenting a simpler and more understandable vision of China than the confusing political reality.
The text, Tikki Tikki Tembo, published in the twentieth century postcolonial period harks back to a pre-colonial time. The British and French Empires from the 19th Century had fought over China for colonial rights. Bradford (2001) argues that all books written in the twentieth century were produced in the “pattern of imperial culture” (p 196). This text is therefore receptive to a postcolonial reading. Arlene Mosel wrote the book within the context of a postcolonial China, (excepting the continued colonial annex of Hong Kong in 1968) and evokes a simpler, peaceful time as evident in the illustrations. The restricted palette of the graphics to basic earthy hues of brown, blue and green emphasize simplicity. There is not just an element of “historical amnesia” (Gandhi 1998 p 7) in reminiscing of early pre-colonial times but a lack of historical accuracy from a postcolonial perspective in the text as a whole.
When viewed through the critical race theory with a post-colonial perspective, Tikki Tikki Tembo could be accused of implying western superiority. As young children make generalizations about cultures (Ramsey 2009), the text could imply that Chinese people are unhappy and cold. In the text, the Chinese mother is portrayed as emotionally hardened, neglecting her second son. She is inhuman and mysterious, fulfilling a stereotype of Asians as inscrutable (Cai 1994). The adults are generally unhappy and the children enjoy a carefree life in a natural Arcadian pre-industrial environment, portrayed in active scenes, flying kites and dancing. They look like generic primitive Asian stereotypes, though not specifically Chinese. This is expressed through the naïve folk illustrations. The naivety of the depictions, especially in the unrealistic illustrations of moving bodies reinforces the primitive, simple tone. The physical stereotype is seen most prominently in the depiction of the Old Man with his long beard.
Tikki Tikki Tembo is an example of cultural misrepresentation as the story is not Chinese (Kromann-Kelly & Changlu 1986). There was never a custom to give children long names and the name Tikki Tikki Tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruche-pip peri pembo “does not sound Chinese, ancient or modern” (Cai 1994 p 185). Translated stories have often used different character names to suit the target language and culture (Lathey 2010) yet in Tikki Tikki Tembo there is a lack of linguistic authenticity. The costumes in the illustrations are more Japanese, for example the children wear clogs and the curved roofs of Japanese architecture present in pictures of the buildings (Cai 1994). The western ‘retelling’ of a traditional Chinese folktale is misleading.
The western author of Tikki Tikki Tembo, Mosel speaks for the Chinese ‘tradition’, because “According to Europeans, Europeans must describe and analyze the Orient because Orientals are not capable of describing or analyzing themselves” (Nodelman 1994 p 29). Gandhi (1998) states that sociolinguistic theory demonstrates how “discourses, or discursive formations” (p 77) are about power and by Mosel speaking for the Chinese immediately infers superiority. The authoritative tone of the narrator shows this; “ Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, it was the custom…” reinforcing that the author knows the truth. Mosel (1968) crosses a ‘fence’ (Naidoo 2010) between cultures but speaks for the other side and highlights the politics of children’s literature, “Who has the power to make the fence, alter the fence? Who is in, who is out? Who has the power of speech? Who is silenced out?” (p 76).
The craft of taking a (supposedly) old tale from one culture and adapting it for another leads to inevitable “Cultural filtering” (Mo & Shen 1997). As Lathey (2010) states, interpreting foreign stories inevitably changes the values and content of the text to appeal to the culture of the child reader. Hearne (1993) questions whether “only members of an ethnic group truly represent the lore of that group?” (p34). Child readers of Tikki Tikki Tembo without any teacher led critical multicultural interpretation will accept the story as truth and will in some way influence perceptions of Chinese people. The text requires engagement with Giroux’s ‘pedagogy of difference’ (1991) and a critical analysis from a multicultural viewpoint, encouraging students “to examine the social construction of difference” (Botelho & Rudman 2009 p 17).
Mosel’s text is an example of western obsession with the mystical east. It has been a trend in art and literature “a combination of admiration and appropriation” (Nikolajeva 2009 p 89) to feed western imaginations of a truly foreign place. Said further states that the creation of Orientalism was not purely a trend but a mindset that justified colonialism (Said 1979). The characters in Tikki Tikki Tembo are clearly in a far away place though not specifically anywhere, especially reinforced by the confused but generic Asian illustrations that are part Japanese, part Chinese. Indeed, the location for the book is “unmappable” (Spooner 2004). The geography of the mountainous landscape emphasizes their remoteness, “in a small mountain village” (Mosel 1968 p1). The remoteness of the geographical setting and the nondescript “long, long time ago” (Mosel 1968 p 1) intensifies the ‘othering’ of the Oriental characters, “detached in time as well as in space” (Nikolajeva 2009 p 91).
Nodelman (1994) connects the construction of ‘the child’ in children’s literature with the European construction of ‘orientals’. It is the creation of ‘the other’, a notion that there are “opposite” (p29) people, unlike those in control of narratives and ultimately “not quite human” (p29). The idea of the mystical east, present in the western creation of the orient is evident in the reference to “evil spirits”. In addition, the depiction of the Old Man’s dream expresses this notion with the swirling patterns, bleeding ink stains and pictures of imperial buildings. The femininity of the orient (Nodelman 1992) is seen in the vision of the young woman in the Old Man’s dream. Nodelman (1994) highlights this ‘feminization’ of the Orient, from a power relationship between east and west, “For Europeans for whom the orient is subject to the gaze, it is therefore, metaphorically, female- and that allows Europe to represent itself and its own authority as male” (p30).
Mosel chooses language which makes the Chinese characters caricatures. There is a repetition of the word “honored” or “honorable”, which does not demonstrate the Chinese contextual meaning but becomes a meaningless stereotype of how Chinese people speak. It is almost as if Mosel had written it to be read with a Chinese accent, for example avoiding the more fluent present continuous tense “The water roars”. Stereotypical Asian references are used in the oriental words “Blossom”, “fish”, “rice cakes”, “Precious Pearl”.
The text lends itself to a feminist reading. The narrative creates a frame to express the oppression of the only female character, the single mother trapped in a traditional patriarchal society. She is pictured constantly in the domestic sphere at the home, unhappily performing domestic duties and is seen washing in four pictures. She is not given the nurturing characteristics of a mother. Rather she is portrayed as emotionally distant especially from her second son.
As language constructs gender (Sunderland 2010), the female is represented through the language used to describe her and the words that she uses (Sunderland, J. 2012). An examination of the words used for the female character create Mosel’s notion of femininity. The mother does not possess essentialist female traits of soft nurturing motherhood. She called her child “Chang, which meant “little or nothing”. (Mosel 1968 ) demonstrating her detachment from her traditional female duty as mother. The negative words that the mother says to her sons further illustrate tension between the genders in the text e.g. “That Troublesome boy”, “Tiresome Child, what are you trying to say?”, “Unfortunate Son, surely the evil spirits have bewitched your tongue.”
The fantasy woman that occurs in the Old Man’s dream represents the male creation of traditional femininity. With a psychoanalytical approach, the Old Man through age, is given decreased masculinity by the author, resulting in his need to control the woman in his dream. The fantasy woman is one that the Old Man can concoct and dominate in his dreams. She embodies traditional notions of feminine beauty with her long flowing hair and silky gown. The Old Man resists leaving his fantasy woman, “Miserable child, you disturb my dream… If I close my eyes perhaps I will again return”.
The psychoanalytical perspective of the picture book focuses on the Old Man’s dream as according to Freud dreams contain the unconscious material that drives conscious thought (Ryan 2007). The Old Man regresses to his childhood in his dreams “I had floated into a purple mist and found my youth again”. The woman in the Old Man’s dreams is his mother. According to Freud and psychoanalytical theory, “full separation from the care-giver is made possible when the child acquires the ability to make mental images or representations of tits initial care-giving object” (Ryan 2007 p97) thus showing the man’s detachment and sense of self.
The Marxist perspective is influenced by the historical context of the text and it’s connection with the class struggle “literature is a product of the popular historical and social formations that prevail at the time of its production” (Sarland 1999 p41). In a Marxist interpretation, Tikki Tikki Tempo is set in an emerging capitalist period. According to Marx, an existing capitalist society is essential before a socialist revolution can occur (Gandhi 1998). The Mother represents the bourgeoisie in this economic system. She uses the old well, a symbol for the means of production that are owned by the ruling class.
The class struggle occurs between the Old Man, the exploited working class and the bourgeois Mother and her sons. The old man is expected to rescue the bourgeois children from the well, one that has the ostentatious name “Tikki Tikki Tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruche-pip peri pembo, which meant “the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world!” (Mosel 1968). The bourgeois family forces the Old Man to be available with the life-saving ladder each time the children dangerously play near the well. The use of irony in “your mother’s ‘Precious Pearl’ has fallen into the well” is the climax of class tension. Whilst the woman lives in a house in a community of other similar houses, the Old Man is depicted apart from the mainstream community, alone on a hill, under a tree. He is surrounded by nature and portrayed as an extension of the natural world. When the mother and the son summon him, disrespectful language is used in comparison to the “Most Honorable” title given to the mother. This is especially significant for a culture so rooted in filial piety and respect for age ,“Run and get the Old Man With The ladder” and “Come right away”.
From a liberal humanist perspective, Tikki Tikki Tembo celebrates the feudal values of a pre-industrial rural life and the common human values of love for family and communal spirit. The idyllic landscape is an “escapist response” (Sarland 1999 p39) to the changing developed world in 1968. The Old Man helps the boys out of the well celebrating the communal spirit of a society before the evils of mechanization and urbanization. The old well represents modernity and danger. The kite, an image of a butterfly tied to earth, represents humanity and the children’s happiness. In the first picture the kite is flying in the sky, yet in the second and third pictures the kite is caught on the frame of the well and gradually falling to the ground- illustrating the affect the well is having on human happiness. The kite is seen triumphantly flying high in the sky on the last page.
Interpreting the book through different perspectives highlights the different theoretical perceptions and constructed notions of the child. Rudd (1999) considers the notion of the child as central to the purpose and meaning of a text. The child characters in the book are crucial to the action of the text. They both fall down the well, creating the main source of conflict in the Marxist and feminist interpretations. Yet the children, in their action, can be perceived as vulnerable beings and therefore lacking power reflecting social hierarchy. The fact that the Mother cannot hear her sons reinforces their voiceless state, “I can not hear you”, “what are you trying to say?”.
Tikki Tikki Tembo is a picture book that has received much criticism for it’s lack of cultural authenticity but endures as a text used by teachers. The various interpretations of the book through the lenses of history, structuralism, post colonialism, feminism, Marxism, psychoanalytical and liberal humanism show that the text has a wealth of ideological meaning that is imparted to children. The text does not occur in a socio-political vacuum and is infused with ideology depending on how it is read. Ultimately, literary criticism of children’s literature is an adult domain, excluding the intended readers from the discourse.
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Children touch and manipulate everything in their environment. They learn best by doing, which requires movement and spontaneous investigation. In a way, the human mind is handmade. That is, through movement and touch, the child explores, manipulates, and learns about the physical world.
Montessori children are free to move about, and may work alone or with others. They choose an activity and may work at their own pace. As long as they do not disturb anyone or damage anything, and as long as they put things back where they belong when finished students have the privilege and responsibility of choosing work for themselves.
Especially at the preschool level, materials are designed to capture a child’s attention. They are intrigued to investigate the item in terms of size, shape, color, texture, weight, smell, sound, etc. They begin to learn to pay attention and more closely observe small details in the things around them. Gradually they hone their appreciation and understanding of their environment. This is a key in helping children discover how to learn.
Freedom is essential as children begin to explore. The goal of a Montessori teacher is to have his/her students fall in love with the process of focusing their complete attention on something and mastering its challenge with enthusiasm. Work dictated by adults rarely results in such enthusiasm and interest so the key is to create an absolutely intriguing environment filled to the brim with opportunities for learning that the children are free to select for themselves.
Therefore the Montessori classroom is a very deliberately prepared environment that serves as a learning laboratory in which children are allowed to explore, discover, and select their own work. The independence children gain empowers them socially and emotionally and is intrinsically involved with helping them become comfortable and confident in their own abilities. They develop the confidence to ask questions, puzzle out the answer, and learn for themselves without needing to be “spoon-fed” by a teacher or adult.
While Montessori may look unstructured to some people, it is actually quite structured at every level. The idea is to provide freedom of choice within a clear structured environment. Just because the Montessori program is highly individualized does not mean that students can do whatever they want.
Montessori teaches all of the “basics,” along with giving students the opportunity to investigate and learn subjects that are of particular interest. They are given the responsibility and freedom to make their own choices. For preschool students external structure is limited to clear-cut ground rules and correct procedures that provide guidelines and structure needed for three- and four-year-olds. By the third year, or kindergarten year, teachers introduce a daily or weekly “contract” or similar system to allow students to keep track of what they have accomplished and what they have yet to complete. So while they may have some measure of freedom, they must choose within very clear expectations. As they demonstrate their ability to follow-through, they are gradually given more responsibility to manage their own time to complete expected assignments.
Learning how to manage one’s time at an early age is an important life skill and one that takes time to practice and hone.
The mixed-age classroom actually improves a Montessori teachers’ ability to individualize learning for each child. Because a Montessori teacher has the benefit of keeping a student in his/her classroom for several years and is not faced with an entire classroom of new students every year, Montessori teachers are able to truly get to know each student as individuals and develop a very good sense of each child’s learning styles and temperaments. They get to know their students’ strengths and weaknesses, interests, and personalities extremely well. They also are already familiar with each child’s parents and family members. Montessori teachers closely monitor their students’ progress and take note of particular interests. They frequently adapt lessons and/or introduce activities relating to topics they know are of keen interest to a particular student or to specific groups of students in the class.
Many families also choose to request the same Montessori teacher for younger siblings as older siblings have had to capitalize on the strong existing relationship already in place between teacher and family.
Montessori teachers focus on the child as a person, rather than on a daily lesson plan as is the focus in most traditional classrooms. Montessori teachers lead children to ask questions, think for themselves, explore, investigate, and discover. Their ultimate objective is to help their students to learn independently and retain the curiosity, creativity, and intelligence with which they were born. Montessori teachers don’t simply present lessons; they are facilitators, mentors, coaches, and guides.
Montessori teachers typically do not spend much time teaching lessons to the whole class at once; instead, the focus is to prepare and maintain the physical, intellectual, and social/emotional environment within which the children will work. A key aspect of this is the selection of intriguing and developmentally appropriate learning activities to meet the needs and interests of each child in the class. Montessori teachers usually present lessons individually or to small groups of children at one time, limiting lessons to brief and very clear presentations. The goal is to give students just enough to capture their attention and spark their interest so they are motivated to come back on their own to work the particular material they have been shown.
Parents are sometimes concerned that by having younger children in the same class as older ones, either the younger or older students may be shortchanged. They fear that the younger children will demand all of the teachers’ time and attention, or that the teacher will focus more on kindergarten curriculum for the five-year-olds and the three- and four-year-olds will not get the emotional support and stimulation that they need. It is understandable for parents to be concerned, however, Montessori schools throughout the world consistently find a mixed-age classroom actually enhances development for every level.
The Montessori environment is designed to address the developmental characteristics normal to children in each stage.
Montessori classes are set up to encompass a two- or three-year age span. This allows younger students the inspiration of older children, who in turn benefit from serving as role models. Each child learns at her own pace and will be ready for any given lesson in her own time, not on the teacher’s schedule of lessons. In a mixed-age class, children can always find peers who are working at their current level.
Children ideally and typically stay in the same class for three years; with two-thirds of the class normally coming back each year, so the classroom culture remains quite stable.
Because a child remains in one classroom for two or three years he/she develops a strong sense of community with classmates and teachers. The age range also allows especially gifted children the stimulation of intellectual peers, without requiring that they skip a grade or feel emotionally out of place.
Montessori students are given quite a bit of leeway to pursue topics that interest them, however, this freedom is not absolute. There are expectations for what a student should know and be able to manage by a certain age.
Montessori teachers know these standards and provide the structure and support necessary to ensure that students live up to expectations. If it appears that a child needs time and support until he or she is developmentally ready to progress in a particular area, Montessori teachers provide that support and/or helps the parent to identify resources to help their child acquire such support.
It is important to realize, however, that a young child observing other students engaged in a work rather than engaging directly is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes younger students need to observe others first to gain the confidence to make their own selection. Montessori teachers are keenly aware of every child in the classroom and gently guide reluctant students to activities they think will spark their interest and allow them time to get used to the idea. By not unduly pressuring a child, the spark of curiosity inevitably kicks in such that the child who was reluctant at first is soon fully engaged.
Dr. Montessori identified four “planes of development” with each having its own developmental characteristics and developmental challenges. The early childhood Montessori environment (age 3-6) is crafted to work with the “absorbent mind,” “sensitive periods,” and the tendencies of children at this stage of their development.
During these early years, learning comes spontaneously without effort. They learn a variety of concepts in a hands-on way, such that when they move into the elementary grades they have a clear, concrete sense of many abstract concepts. The Montessori approach inspires children to become self-motivated, self-disciplined, and to retain the sense of curiosity that so many children lose along the way in traditional teacher-led classrooms. Montessori students tend to show care and respect toward their environment and one another and are able to work at their own pace and ability. Students who have had the benefit of a three-year Montessori experience tend embrace a joy of learning that prepares them for further challenges.
While students can join a Montessori program at any age, we find that students get the most out of their Montessori experience if they join around age 3 and stay at least through the kindergarten year. Children entering at age four or five typically adapt into the classroom very well but may not have enough opportunity to work through all of the three-year curriculum and therefore may not have had enough time to develop the same skills, work habits, or values as students who have had the benefit of a three-year cycle.
Students who are 2-1/2 to 3 years old or are 3 years old but not ready for a preschool program may enroll two, three or five half days per week in our Prep Program. The goal of the Prep Program is to help younger students learn social and emotional skills to prepare themselves to join a Montessori preschool/kindergarten class.
Students enrolled in the Prep Program may enroll in the Montessori preschool program the following school year or may be ready to join a preschool program during the course of the school year (if a space is available and only after a detailed assessment of a student’s readiness for a successful transition) as determined by the Prep Program Teacher and School Director in conjunction with the child’s parents.
Two- and three-day programs are often appealing to parents who do not need full-time care; however, we, like most other Montessori schools, find that four and five-day programs create the consistency that is so important for a Montessori age 3-6 classroom. We therefore offer five half days (morning or afternoon), five full days or four-afternoon Montessori programs for students in our Montessori 3-6 classrooms.
The primary goal of a Montessori environment is to create a culture of consistency, order, independence and empowerment. Attending only two or three days per week makes creating such a classroom culture much more difficult to achieve and much more difficult for a child who attends only off and on to embrace and get the most from. In addition, if only two or three days per week are offered, a Montessori teacher would be required to track and work with many more total students and families. By having students attend more consistently, the bonds between teacher and child/teacher and family are stronger and the Montessori teacher can concentrate on a more reasonable total number of pupils each school year and focus on each students’ needs more effectively.
However, as a way to allow younger students to get ready for a more consistent routine, we have a Prep Program, which is intended for new students ages 2-1/2 to 3 years old. It is offered as a three or five-morning per week program. The goal of the Prep Program is to help younger students learn social and emotional skills to prepare themselves to join a Montessori age 3-6 class. Students enrolled in the Prep Program may enroll in the Montessori preschool program the following school year or may be ready to join a preschool program during the course of the school year (if a space is available and only after a detailed assessment of a student’s readiness for a successful transition) as determined by the Prep Program Teacher and School Director in conjunction with the child’s parents.
To provide additional flexibility once a student is age 3 we offer our Enrichment program as a supplement to a preschool or kindergarten student who is already enrolled in a Montessori class. Students can attend Enrichment classes one, two, three, four or five days per week as an add on to their Montessori half-day schedule. We also offer before and after school programs to help parents create a schedule that works best for their family needs.
We find that students do best when their schedule is as consistent as possible and will work with you to try to find the optimal schedule for your child.
STEAM Enrichment Classes (3-6 years; available only as an add-on half day class if enrolled in half day Montessori 3-6 for the other half of the day)
Before and After School Care (available before morning classes 7:30AM – 8:45AM and after afternoon classes have ended 3:30-6:15PM)
Clubroom – Available on non-school days only for students enrolled in Sammamish Montessori School. Clubroom is available on conference days, in-service days, school breaks and public/bank holidays such as Veterans Day. This program is an option for students enrolled in SMS and is paid separately based on the actual amount of time a student attends this program; it is not rolled into the tuition payment so that families not using the service are not paying for it.
We create plenty of fun activities such as arts and crafts, projects, plan music and dancing, games, computer time, outdoor recess and sports and sometimes cooking projects. Please help us plan well by reserving your child’s space in advance. That way we can determine what types of activities would work best for the group and we can make sure we have plenty of staff members in place and ready to supervise and work with the children.
The school is closed and we do not offer our Clubroom program on Labor Day, Thanksgiving Eve and Day, Christmas Eve and Day, New Year’s Eve and Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Independence Day and Memorial Day.
If we cannot meet your request, we will contact you within two weeks to discuss any available options you may have. If you do not hear from us initially, you may assume your child is enrolled. Confirmations will be sent out along with Summer School registrations in late March, or sooner if possible. We will work on processing enrollments as quickly as we can, but it does take time. Thank you for your patience.
Montessori classes are available as five-day-per-week morning only or five-day-per-week full day options. There may be a limited number of four-day afternoon spaces for preschool-aged children available unless all spaces have been taken by students attending five days per week.
Our STEAM Enrichment program, which is offered as a complement to our Montessori program, is set up to allow families more flexibility. A student enrolled five half days in a Montessori class may add one, two, three, four or five half days in addition to a five half-day schedule. Kindergarten students must attend five days per week.
Our Prep Program is for new students who are starting at age 2-1/2 to 3 years old. It is offered as a three or five morning per week program. The goal of the Prep Program is to help younger students learn social and emotional skills to prepare themselves to join a Montessori preschool/kindergarten class. Students enrolled in the Prep Program may enroll in the Montessori preschool program the following school year or may be ready to join a preschool program during the course of the school year (if a space is available and only after a detailed assessment of a student’s readiness for a successful transition) as determined by the Prep Program Teacher and School Director in conjunction with the child’s parents.
Yes. Your child’s social and academic development is part of a three-year Montessori cycle with the same teacher and many of the same classmates so ideally your child will continue in the same class with the same teacher in his/her preschool through kindergarten 3 year cycle and for the early elementary 3 year cycle (grades 1-3). However, there is a small possibility that unforeseen circumstances may dictate a change.
Registration fees and tuition deposits are nonrefundable. Enrollment is a commitment for the entire school year and the commitment you make when you enroll your child, in turn, allows the school to make commitments to teachers and fulfill the many financial obligations the school must take on to provide your child’s space in the school.
Once your child has been enrolled, we honor our commitment to you by ensuring your child’s space for the school year. This often means turning away other students who would have enrolled in your child’s space had it been available. For this reason, please make sure you have made your decision to attend Sammamish Montessori School prior to submitting an enrollment contract for your child. Please notify the school in writing as soon as possible (before August 1 of the upcoming school year) if you plan to withdraw your child from the upcoming school year to release yourself from future tuition obligations (September onwards).
If you withdraw during the school year, you must provide written notice at least one month in advance of the first day of the month of your withdrawal (for instance, if leaving March 12, you would need to provide notice by February 1). If you are unable to provide one-month written notice of withdrawal, you must pay one tuition installment in lieu of notice.
Some parents facing job transfers or new job opportunities requiring a move out of our area have been successful in obtaining some consideration from their employers who are dictating the move or as part of a relocation package.
Can I register my child for kindergarten even if he/she is not 5 years old by August 31 of the school year?
No. However, your child will have the opportunity to do kindergarten level work and beyond in any of the Montessori classrooms even if registered as a preschool student. Parents of children with early September birthdays who have attended Sammamish Montessori School for two years and wish to petition for their child’s third Montessori year to be their kindergarten year may submit a request in writing to the director prior to registration. Your child will be evaluated by the director in consultation with your child’s teacher prior to the beginning of the new school year.
Early acceptance into kindergarten at SMS is not a guarantee of early acceptance into a public school the following year.
The primary Montessori curriculum is a 3-year cycle. The third year, or kindergarten year, is when all the learning that has taken place in the previous two years reaches fruition and a child’s knowledge begins to fall into place. Your child will be challenged to reach his/her potential by his/her Montessori teacher who knows your child incredibly well and so can provide precisely what is needed next. Children build upon what they have learned, experience rapid academic and social growth and their skill level dramatically increases when they are given the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge within the Montessori classroom. Third year students are ready to explode into more complex learning and discovery and they delve into a wealth of new and interesting materials. They are guided to take on more and more complex work, begin to learn time management skills and have an increased set of expectations and privileges in the classroom. These older children also reinforce their academic skills by helping another child, a well-documented way to consolidate knowledge.
Preschool children in a Montessori classroom look forward to being one of the “big kids” in the classroom. If he/she is put into a school where the kindergartners are looked down upon as being in the “baby class” his/her cycle of maturing is interrupted. It is especially unfortunate for a child who is a younger sibling at home to miss this opportunity to shine. This year of leadership gives a child immeasurable self-esteem and intellectual confidence.
No. We cannot process a registration request until payment is received, even if a registration form is submitted. You may provide a credit card number and authorization instead of a check if you prefer. If you are registering more than one child and need to make payment arrangements, please contact our Director or Business Manager.
Yes. Just come into the office, or call and we can put a form in your child’s bag, mail or email one as needed. You may also download a registration form from our website www.sammamishmontessori.com. Children enrolled in the school (and siblings or alumni) pay a registration/enrollment fee of $190 and are given registration priority (assuming forms are turned in by the re-registration deadline). The registration fee for new families is $250; processing for new students occurs after returning students have been registered.
To register, complete the enrollment form and attach either a check, or give your credit card number and authorization to charge registration fees and tuition deposits (registration fee ($190) plus your tuition deposit of 10% of annual tuition.) Forms must be filled out completely, signed and accompanied by payment in order to be eligible to process for registration. You may choose to mail in your registration and payment so that it is received by the deadline or deliver it by hand.
All registrations received by the deadline will be collected and on the following day applications will be processed in priority order. Priority is given to full day students and then to half day students. Applications received after the deadline will be processed in the order they are received.
Tuition is a school year program fee that may be paid in a lump sum or divided into ten (monthly) installments for your convenience. It is calculated based on the total number of actual school days in the school year and does not include holidays, vacations, in-service, and conference days. When you enroll your child for the school year, you are making a commitment for the entire school year from the first day of school in September through the last day of school in June.
To secure a space for the school year 10% of the school year tuition must be paid upon registration as a nonrefundable deposit, along with the registration fee. If parents select the monthly payment plan, tuition payments for the balance of the school year are outlined in the table below. Please note that monthly payments each represent 1/10 of the total school year tuition and that while some months have more school days and others fewer, the amount paid each month is always the same so that it is easy for parents to remember and for the school to administer.
|Monthly Payment||Amount Due||When Due|
|Nonrefundable deposit||10% of school year tuition||upon registration|
|September||10% of school year tuition||September 1st|
|October||10% of school year tuition||October 1st|
|November||10% of school year tuition||November 1st
|December||10% of school year tuition||December 1st|
|January||10% of school year tuition||January 1st|
|February||10% of school year tuition||February 1st|
|March||10% of school year tuition||March 1st|
|April||10% of school year tuition||April 1st|
|May||10% of school year tuition||May 1st|
Except for those schools that are associated with a particular religious community, Montessori schools do not teach religion.
At our school we do not participate in or promote any kind of religious instruction. We learn about holidays, such as Christmas, Hannukah, Diwali, Ramadan, Eid, and Chinese New Year, or other festivals, but all on the basis of broadening cultural knowledge and understanding. We welcome parent involvement in bringing in first-hand knowledge and understanding of these celebrations into our classrooms, however, we do ask that parents tailor any presentations and discussions to focus on cultural rather than religious aspects. Our goal is to give children a taste of the experience each celebration or festival by sharing the special foods, songs, dances, games, and age-appropriate stories.
Montessori education fundamentally aims to inspire a child’s heart. So while Montessori does not teach religion, we do embrace the great moral and spiritual themes, such as love, kindness, joy, and confidence in the fundamental goodness of life. We encourage the child to begin the journey toward being fully alive and fully human. Everything is intended to nurture within the child a sense of joy and appreciation of life.
Art, music, dance, and creativity are integrated in the curriculum and children are given many opportunities to tap into their own creativity. While each piece of Montessori equipment has a specific purpose which children are shown how to use, once students have mastered a particular concept, they may be free to explore beyond the original lesson. For instance, once preschool/kindergarten students have gained a solid understanding of size with the sensorial materials, such as smallest to biggest, narrowest to widest, they can use the materials to create their own three-dimensional designs. Creative writing is encouraged once children have mastered basic writing concepts using the moveable alphabet for younger students or pencil and paper.
Imagination plays a central role, as children explore how the natural world works, visualize other cultures and ancient civilizations, and search for creative solutions to real-life problems. Children make up their own games and stories routinely during recess. Our playground playhouses and forts are an especially fun place for children to create their own creative worlds.
Our Enrichment program also provides ample opportunity for students to be creative. The curriculum spans art, crafts, music, dance, storytelling, acting, puppetry, cooking and other creative endeavors. Enrichment science allows students many hands-on opportunities to smell, touch, taste, manipulate and test things for themselves, thereby honing problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
With the observation that competition is an ineffective tool to motivate children to learn and to work hard, Montessori schools do not set students up to compete with one another as is done in many traditional school settings (competing for grades, class rankings, grading on a curve, special awards, etc.).
In a Montessori school, the emphasis is on collaboration rather than competition. Students discover their own innate abilities and develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline. In an atmosphere in which children learn at their own pace and compete only against themselves, they learn that making a mistake and learning from one’s mistakes is normal rather than something to be fearful of. Students learn that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process. Our hope is to give students the self-confidence and courage to try things beyond their comfort zones.
While competition is not formal or teacher created, Montessori children compete with each other every day, both in class and on the playground. Dr. Montessori, was herself an extraordinary student and a very high achiever and was never opposed to competition as an idea. She just recognized that using competition to create an artificial motivation to get students to achieve was ineffective.
Montessori schools allow competition to evolve naturally among children, without adult interference unless the children begin to show poor sportsmanship. The key is the child’s voluntary decision to compete rather than having it imposed on him by the school.
When evaluating students we are more interested in following their individual progress and keeping track of their capabilities than comparing them with their peers. So that a child’s progress may be followed throughout their three-year primary cycle, the same evaluation format is used from preschool right through kindergarten. For that reason, parents should keep in mind that in many areas children cannot be expected to have reached proficiency until their kindergarten year. Teachers keep daily records of everything your child does at school and can give you information about any aspect of your child’s work should you require more details.
For elementary students a different comprehensive elementary focused report format is utilized to track progress throughout the elementary cycle. So that a child’s progress may be followed throughout a three-year elementary cycle, the same comprehensive evaluation format is used each elementary year.
There are no tests or quizzes for preschool or kindergarten students. Montessori teachers carefully observe their students at work to identify areas they have mastered and areas they need additional practice or perhaps another lesson.
While Montessori students tend to score very well on standardized tests, Montessori educators as a whole are deeply concerned that many standardized tests are inaccurate, misleading, and stressful for children. Good teachers, who work with the same children for three years and carefully observe their work, know far more about their progress than any paper-and-pencil test can reveal.
The ultimate problem with standardized tests is that they have often been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and poorly used to pressure teachers and students to perform at higher standards. Although standardized tests may not offer a terribly accurate measure of a child’s basic skills and knowledge, in most countries test-taking skills are just another Practical Life lesson that children need to master.
Yes, in general, children who are highly gifted will find Montessori to be both intellectually challenging and flexible enough to respond to them as unique individuals. Students are able to socialize with a peer group that meets their social and emotional needs while given the opportunity to move on to more challenging lessons individually.
Returning students and any family members of past or present students may apply for enrollment before new students may enroll. Re-registration forms are sent home to all students several weeks in advance and are also available by request in the office and posted on our website.
Enrollment is then opened up to new students. Parents of new students are encouraged to tour the school during a regular school day before submitting an application. If there are any remaining vacancies not filled during the formal registration period they may be filled at any time thereafter.
Returning families are granted priority registration and are processed before new applicants as long as they submit the enrollment contract by the deadline.
Applications are first organized by requested schedule. If a student’s first choice is no longer available when their application is processed, they will be included on the list for their second choice. If we are unable to fulfill your request with any alternatives you have listed, you will receive a call as soon as possible within two weeks after the deadline to discuss other alternatives.
Any re-registration forms received after the deadline are processed in the order they are received. This same process also is used for new student registrations. After the new student registration deadline, any registration forms will be processed in the order they are received.
By providing an advanced enrollment period for returning students, we aim to provide them with their first choice of schedule, however, any applications received after the deadline will be processed in the order received.
Among applications received by the deadline, priority is granted as follows:
- Requests for full days have priority over half days within the Montessori 3-6 classrooms.
- Five day afternoon spaces will be filled before 4 day afternoon preschool spaces within the Montessori 3-6 classrooms.
- Returning students have priority over new students.
- Siblings of returning students have priority over new students.
Initially, no news is good news, as it means we were able to process your application as requested. If we are unable to fulfill your request as you have specified on your enrollment contract, we will contact you as soon as possible if we have an alternative to discuss with you. However, if we are able to give you the classes and days you request, you will receive a confirmation letter and summer school brochure near the end of March. You are welcome to contact us if you have questions.
Sammamish Montessori School serves children ages 3 years and older, starting in preschool and continuing through kindergarten. New students ages 2-1/2 to 3 who are not yet ready potty trained and for a preschool program may begin in our Prep Program until they are ready to transition into a Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten class.
Our summer program includes options for elementary age children up to 8 years old.
Children must be potty trained to attend our Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten classes. To be considered potty trained children must demonstrate that they are able, on their own initiative, to go to the bathroom with little or no adult prompting or assistance. Our aim is to help children become independent in all aspects of their development, including managing their own basic needs. We of course are able and prepared to assist with an occasional accident and/or help a child get their clothing refastened. We also regularly remind children to remember to go the bathroom. However, chronic potty accidents detract from our ability to provide academic lessons to all of the children.
For new students ages 2-1/2 to 3 years old who are not yet potty trained and ready for preschool we offer a Prep Program, which is designed to prepare younger children so that they can eventually transition into a Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten class. The transition process will take place when the child has reached age 3 and can demonstrate social and emotional readiness and is adequately toilet trained. The child’s teacher and director will determine when to move a child from the Prep Program to a 3 – 6 Montessori preschool/kindergarten classroom. The transition is also only possible if there is space available at that time.
The emphasis in the Prep Program will be on socialization and independence. Our prep students will be exposed to a wide variety of practical life and sensorial activities, play, art, stories, singing, movement and music. Children in the Prep Program do not need to be fully potty trained, as potty training will be one of the skills taught.
Extended care is available to all students enrolled in preschool, kindergarten or elementary (during summer only if enrolled in summer Discovery camp). Students may arrive before or after their class time and will be supervised in our Clubroom. Children brought to school or picked up outside of regular class time must be signed in/out in the Clubroom. A parent or other parent-authorized pickup/drop-off designee must accompany children to and from the Clubroom.
Daily Class Times
Early Birds Clubroom
7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Students are escorted to their morning classrooms starting at 8:45 a.m.)
Morning session (applies to Prep, Morning Preschool and Morning Kindergarten.)
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Drop off begins 8:45 a.m. and pick-up ends 11:45 a.m.)
Afternoon session (applies to Afternoon Preschool and Afternoon Kindergarten.)
12:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. (Drop off begins 8:45 a.m. and pick-up ends 3:30 p.m.)
Full Day (Applies to: Full Day Preschool, Half-Day Montessori + Half-Day Enrichment, Full Day Kindergarten and Elementary)
9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. (Drop off begins 8:45 a.m. and pick-up ends 3:30 p.m.)
After School Club
3:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. (Students remaining at the end of class transition time are escorted from their classrooms to After School Club promptly at 3:30 p.m. )
Montessori children tend to be socially comfortable. Because they have been encouraged to problem-solve and think independently, Montessori children are typically happy, confident, and resourceful and settle quickly and easily into new schools once they have assimilated the different expectations and ground rules.
By the end of kindergarten, Montessori children are normally curious, self-confident learners who look forward to going to school. They are typically engaged, enthusiastic learners who honestly want to learn and who ask excellent questions.
By age six most have spent three or four years in a school where they were treated with honesty and respect with clear expectations and ground rules. Within that framework, their opinions and questions were taken quite seriously.
There is nothing inherent in Montessori that causes children to have a hard time if they are transferred to traditional schools. Some may be bored or not understand why everyone in the class has to do the same thing at the same time. However, most adapt to their new setting fairly quickly, make new friends, and succeed within the definition of success understood in their new school.