The wonder of words

A look towards World Poetry Day on March 21 - and at how poetry is helping children in Hull schools to develop their language skills

Power of the pen: Andrew Marvell pupils have been published in an anthology

Word play: poetry unites pupils at Northcott Special School

Andrew Marvell pupils write about postive things including friendships and happy memories

Poetry helps the engagement and interaction of pupils at Northcott Special School

Pupils at Bransholme's Northcott Special School have a range of different needs, including severe visual, hearing and speech impairments, autism and serious medical conditions.
Yet despite these differing needs, poetry is one of the things that can bring them all together.
"They will sit in the hall as a whole school and be absolutely enthralled by a visiting poet, and they will all be picking things up at different levels," says acting head teacher Kath Coxall.
There are about 90 pupils at Northcott who vary in age from six to 16, and in ability from very severe needs to those who are able to sit GCSEs.
"Some pupils can lip read poems from the reader's lips, some read them in Braille, and some children have had poems told to them in sign language," adds Kath.
"You can see how it aids their engagement and interaction.
"And you can see the progress in their communication skills from the way they talk about poems and then in the poems they produce.
"But just as in any school, some children will get more from poetry than others."

Young writers

At Andrew Marvell Business and Enterprise College, the pupils don't relate much to the school's namesake (considered to be one of the greatest poets of the 17th century).
But last year, 142 of the school's pupils were published in a regional anthology of young writers - and more than 100 are to be published in a similar book this year after entering the national Young Writers' Writing competition.
Writing poems can help pupils get things off their chest and express feelings about a wide range of issues including parents divorcing, bullying, drugs, racism and other fears.
"But pupils also write about a great many positive things such as friendships, happy memories, and things that have changed their lives," says Andree Jackson, head of communications.
"Some of the pupils write very personal poems and they express things in written form which they couldn't express vocally.
"The boys contribute a lot and enjoy writing poetry as if it's a 'rap.'
They're very good at thinking of rhythms."

World of words

World Poetry Day was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999, with the aim of promoting the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world.
This year it falls on Good Friday – so Hull schools will have broken up for the Easter holidays, but many will be celebrating it before the end of term.
Hall Road primary school, for example, is marking the day on March 19 with a morning assemby for parents at which children will read out their poems.
"Reading and writing poetry encourages children to share their work with other audiences, and feel a success," says head teacher Graham Capes.
"That, in turn, can build up children's confidence, and enhance their communication skills.
"Youngsters feel safe reading poems when the structure becomes familiar and they can repeat words without too much of a challenge.
"And that enhances their imagination and encourages them to express their own feelings more clearly."

Read on...

Year two pupils at Hall Road Primary School with visiting poet Anthony Lishak

This year has been declared a National Year of Reading by the Government, which is challenging children and adults alike to make reading a regular part of their lives.
And there's no better place to go than any of Hull's 14 libraries, spread across the city.
Services include story-times for under fives, children's Chatterbooks reading groups and adult reading groups.
"During the past year, we've added 55,000 new books to the shelves -and there's plenty of poetry in there too," says senior librarian Jessica Leathley.
"We're ready to help people in all kinds of ways whether that's with suggestions for holiday reading, advice for parents supporting their children's literacy or a chance to talk about a good book."
For more information contact Hull Libraries on 300300.

Famous Hull poets Philip Larkin (1922-1985) was voted the "nation's best-loved poet" in 2003, and was head librarian of Hull University's Brynmor Jones library for more than 30 years. His work reveals a great sensitivity to, and love of life but at the same time the mocking wit of his poems did not conceal his dark vision and obsession with themes of mortality, love, and human solitude. 'Deprivation is to me what daffodils are to Wordsworth," was Larkin's famous confession. Although he had a number of affairs, Larkin feared marriage and family, and never married. "Two can live as stupidly as one," he said. Shortly after turning down an offer to become Britain's poet laureate after the death of his friend John Betjeman, Larkin underwent surgery for cancer of the oesophagus, and died within a year on December 2, 1985. He was buried in Cottingham Municipal Cemetery, following a funeral at London's Westminster Abbey. His great works include The Whitsun Weddings (1964), the title poem of which is a masterly depiction of England seen from a train between London and Hull on Whitsun. Andrew Marvell Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) went to Hull Grammar School (now the Hands on History museum, in Trinity Square), but left to go to Cambridge University when he was just 12 years old. Needless to say he was a bright lad – and no doubt would have been on the gifted and talented register had he been at school in Hull today. He wrote his first published work at the age of 16 – in Greek and Latin! But his early life was also quite tragic. His mother died in 1638, when he was 17, and his father, a reverend at Holy Trinity Church, drowned while crossing the Humber a couple of years later. Marvell later travelled throughout Europe but never forgot his roots, referring to the River Humber in what is arguably his most famous poem - "To His Coy Mistress" - in which he urges his girlfriend not to be so shy and reserved with him because life is short and time is running out for them both. In 1659, Marvell was elected MP for Hull, and he continued to represent it until his death. The local studies section in Hull Central Library holds the Marvell Collection of books, including his poetry, prose work, biographies and literary criticism, some of which were published during his lifetime.

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If you are a parent wanting more information about how you can share poetry with your child, contact your local school. See Kickin Off on p.31 for samples of Hull pupils' poems.