P is for Poetry, Practical and Patchwork

Poetry - I love poetry and for that reason I think that's why each of my classes has come to love it too.  I think children once they have understood that poetry is NOT to do with rhyming are exceptionally good at painting pictures with few words and I have often found my heart stop beating  or tears welling up in my eyes when reading a particular phrase because they have captured something so perfectly and this can be even with children as young as six.  

Performing poetry is another excellent way to bring children of all abilities together - the way the words sound or rhyme can bring links that children find much easier to remember than straight prose.  Encouraging children in small mixed ability groups to read through a selection of poetry and select one or two which they wish to perform to the other groups has yielded some excellent co-operation, playing to their unique strengths and certainly bringing some out of their shells.  I can whole heartedly recommend it for literacy lessons :)

Practical - as many of you working with children with special needs probably know these children can often be amongst the most practical of children in a class - far better than gifted and talented at times.  I can certainly recall days out at museums where such children took the lead in solving the problems & doing the tasks set because it was practical and it made sense.  Design & Technology lessons which include cooking, making models etc are such good examples of allowing the curriculum to be accessible to all if we don't rely on writing it all down!! 

 I know I have had a lot more trouble with children who are more academic having a melt-down moment in such lessons because for the first time they couldn't get something to work but it is an excellent teaching point to get them to recognise how others must feel most of the time in class and how this might make them feel more sympathetic towards those that struggle with reading, writing or maths.  I certainly remember struggling with these type of lessons at school as I got older and more academic - in fact I remember refusing to select Design Technology as an extra "free period" option when doing my "A" levels and managing to get the school to accept my plea to work with children in the remedial classes (as they were called then) further down the school.  It was only when I studied DT whilst gaining my teaching qualification at university that I found it such a wonderful subject!!

Are you a practical person in your daily life?  Did you enjoy these type of lessons at school?

Patchwork - by the time my son was born I had already amassed a number of knitted squares so the practical thing to do was to make a patchwork baby blanket which over the years has come in very useful - being small but warm, cosy and snuggly and easy to wash - very important when in contact with babies and small children - know what I mean???  Unfortunately, in this latest move it has been packed away somewhere and I can't find it to photograph & show to you - no doubt it will be un-earthed later in the year when I begin to get everything ship-shape again so I'll try to remember to post a photo then!!

I would like to knit myself a patchwork long cardigan/coat at some point.  I really love this one

but know that my children would disown me if seen in public!!!

So it is more likely to end up looking like this:

Have you got any patchwork items and if so what?  Do you wear any items of clothing that make your children run off and leave you if at all possible???

P is for Penguin - I created these cute little alphabetical penguins along with a list of their possible uses so please feel free to enjoy :)