New Puzzles/Next Moves: Exploring Poetry: How Does a Middle School Teacher Begin?

Shanklin comments on several excellent reasons for using poetry throughout the school year, citing its accessibility, the community of choral reading, the practice in making deep inferences, and its role as a natural segue to writing. She also advises pretesting students to determine their current knowledge, becoming familiar with state and district standards and related exam questions, and encouraging performance of poetry.