Harnessing the Power of Poetry for Language and Literacy Instruction in the Senior Primary Classroom

‘Poetry is a bridge that connects children to the relevance of writing, reading, learning, honesty and community. Passage on this bridge is open to all children and successful crossings are guaranteed… because poetry writing relies on the senses, emotions and history of each child.’ (Tucker, 2004) This webinar explores the role of poetry as a stimulus for engaging language and literacy development in the senior primary classroom. This webinar will provide teachers with a range of strategies and opportunities to harness the power of poetry in supporting children’s reading fluency, reading comprehension, writing skills and vocabulary development. A selection of recommended poems will be provided and connected learning opportunities will be explored to suit stages 3 - 4 demonstrating playful, engaging and meaningful practice.

Clara Maria Fiorentini is a lecturer in Initial Teacher Education at Marino Institute of Education, specialising in Literary, Children’s Literature and Early Childhood Education. Prior to this, Clara taught for eleven years in an urban, DEIS primary school in Co. Dublin, Ireland. Clara provides CPD for primary teachers and early childhood professionals in the areas of literacy, children's literature, play based learning and school transitions. Clara has recently completed her PhD research in early literacy development and transitions to formal literacy learning. Clara is currently an executive committee member of the Literacy Association of Ireland and was the President of LAI for 2024. You can connect with Clara via her website www.claramariafiorentini.com or via Instagram.