Rose, Where Did You Get That Red?: Teaching Great Poetry to Children

This excellent book seems to be a missing link in writing instruction. Other books provide somewhat mechanical methods for generating writing ideas, but Koch's book leads the reader into natural lines of thought which connect the reader with his or her experience of life, experience from which the writing must flow. I am pretty sure this would work for any kind of writing and is not limited to poetry. Don't be too proud to use this book on yourself!

Mr. Koch will not underestimate children. He will not talk down, dumb down, water down, because a passion for the subject matter animates this book as it must animate his instruction. He carefully documents and shares children's work as if it is as important as the poetry that inspired it.Like anything truly sublime, the unspoken lesson enlivens this book . If you really share what you love with students, guide them instead of showing them, ask instead of telling, and treat their products with the respect you'd give a visiting artist, they will produce art as amazing as Mr. Koch's students did.Forget teaching poetry to children- teach poetry instead. Take the concept and apply it to all creative acts. Teach art from great and challenging art. Teach music from powerful, sophisticated music. They can not only take it, they'll take it and keep it.

I used this book to introduce unrhymed poetry to a fourth grade class. They just knew that they were going to HATE poetry, but after they were exposed to these poems and had a chance to write their own, they were upset when the poetry unit was over. They loved the poems written by other children that Koch included.

This book was one with which I was taught in high school twenty years ago, and not only did it help me to connect with a personal style, but it also enhanced my appreciation of Whitman and Ginsburg. It stimulated ALL my other classmates in finding a voice and appreciation.

Teachers of poetry from elementary to high school will enjoy teaching poetry with this method or incorporating the ideas into existing curriculum. I had success with it in ninth grade. Younger students would like it even more. The method uses great poems as starting points for children's own writing, and many examples are provided.